Little Surprises
by Jlbrew28
Summary: Sequal to Little Adjustments. A young stowaway proves to be more than he seems...especially to Mal. Warning: Spanking.
1. Home Sweet Home

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 1: Home Sweet Home

The planet Shadow was one of the farthest planets from the Core that one could get, but for Malcolm Reynolds it would always be 'home sweet home'.

"There she is," he told his crew, who had gathered on the bridge of their Firefly-class transport ship per his summons, as they gazed at the world their captain had grown up on.

"It's rather…unique," Inara Sara, a former Companion and Mal's fiancé, told her soon-to-be husband, hesitantly.

Mal snorted. "I know it ain't much," he said, "but she's got it where it counts, I reckon."

"Any chance of us gettin' a job?" Jayne, the ship's resident mercenary and general loud mouth, asked gruffly.

Mal gave him a withering look. "We're here for a relaxin', Jayne," he reminded the merc. "We'll worry about a job afterwards."

"We also need to find a mechanic, Sir," Zoe, the ship's first mate, reminded him gently.

Everyone grew somber at this reminder, as it had only been a couple of weeks since they had buried their beloved mechanic, Kaylee.

The young girl, made even younger due to an age-regression serum, had been shot and killed during a kidnapping attempt by Gabriel Tam, the biological father of Simon and River Tam.

The Tams had been aboard _Serenity _now for a full year, and had become an intricate part of the crew…especially since they too had been given the age-regression serum the same as Kaylee.

Simon was the ship's doctor, and though he now appeared and occasionally acted like a twelve year old boy, he had retained his medical knowledge and skills therefore he remained their medico.

His sister River was…unique. The girl was a Reader, able to read the thoughts of others, sense danger before it occurred, and see possible future events, but she was also more than that.

Thanks to brain-tampering 'doctors' at an Alliance funded 'academy', River had become a living weapon. The girl had been proven this by taking out an entire bar of outlaws single-handedly, as well as a pack of crazed Reavers.

She had also proven to be adept at flying, and had taken their fallen pilot's—Wash—place at the helm, though Mal and Zoe each took a term at the wheel, too.

"I know, Zoe," Mal told her, "and we'll look around while we're here. I have a few old buddies who were pretty good with wrench…"

Inara smiled. "Should we be worried?" she asked him, teasing.

Mal smirked. "You sayin' I don't know what I'm doin'?" he asked.

"Well…" Inara said, smirking, "there was that time…"

Mal snorted. "Everybody's a critic," he grumbled, shaking his head.

The other's smiled, knowing he wasn't really angry.

"Maybe you should take a break, Sir," Zoe suggested, patting him on the shoulder, "and let me take her down. You've been at the wheel a good while already."

Mal did feel a bit cramped. He nodded. "Sure thing," he said, standing up. "Jayne, why don't you go start getting' the mule prepped."

The merc grumbled. "Ain't you gonna help?" he asked, sourly. "Why do I gotta do all the work now?"

"Because I said so," Mal told him, firmly, "less a'course, you'd like a repeat of our chat on Ariel…"

Jayne's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. "I'm goin', I'm goin'," he said, and turned to hightail it down to the cargo hold.

Mal chuckled, wrapping an arm around Inara as they made their way towards the galley.

Inara smiled. "You're never going to let him forget that, are you?" she asked, knowingly.

"Nope," he told her, smirking. "Where are the young'uns?" He was referring to Simon and River.

"Simon was in the infirmary the last time I checked," Inara told him, "and River was…"

The sound of a crash was heard, followed by a rather loud, "RIVER! I'm gonna kill you!"

"In there with him," Mal guessed, sighing. They both headed for the infirmary, only to be nearly plowed over by a very fast moving little girl.

River was a small little thing, she had been at seventeen and was even more so at twelve, but she was faster than the wind when she needed to be.

She quickly darted behind them, grinning.

"Where's the fire, Lil' Abatross?" Mal asked her, curiously. "What was that crash?"

She giggled. "You'll see," she said, pointing.

They both followed her finger to where her brother was running up the stairs…

He was covered in what appeared to be green paint and he didn't look too happy about it, either.

"Where it she?" he growled, spotting his sister behind their pseudo-parents. "I'm gonna…"

He lunged at them, trying to get at his sister.

"Whoa there," Mal said, halting him, "I think someone needs a shower…"

"Someone needs something all right," Simon growled, "but it's a slap upside the head! Look what she did to me!"

He gestured to his green painted body, which was quite green indeed.

Mal looked at River. "You do that, lil'one?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and nodding at her brother.

She nodded. "Yes," she told him, smiling.

"Why?" he asked, crossing his arms.

She shrugged. "I was bored," she said, "and he wouldn't play with me."

"Ah," Mal said, exchanging an amused look with Inara, "well then…why don't you and Inara go rustle us up some grub so that you'll have somethin' to do."

River seemed to think about this a moment. "Okay," she said, latching onto Inara's hand and began pulling her toward the galley.

"What!?" Simon exclaimed, indignant. "That's it!? That's all you're going to say or do!?"

Mal sighed. "C'mon, Simon," he told him. "Ya know yer sister don't think like a normal person…"

"So that excuses this!?" Simon asked, gesturing again to his painted self.

"Now, no," Mal said, "but you ain't really hurt any, are you?"

"Well, no," Simon said, reluctantly, "but…" He again gestured to the paint covering him.

"That's nothin' a little soap and water won't get rid of," Mal said, steering him toward the crew quarters.

"This is a double standard," Simon said, annoyed. "You spank me, but…"

"Now hold it right there," Mal told him, sternly, "if River had done something really hurtful or spiteful or mean, or just plain dangerous you can bet she'd be getting' a lickin' the same as you, but c'mon, this was just a harmless prank, right?"

Simon sighed. "I guess so," he said, knowing his sister really wasn't trying to be mean. "She just wanted my attention…"

Mal nodded, knowingly. "That's right," he said, "and I'm guessin' she's been tryin' to get it for a while now, huh?"

Again, Simon sighed. "I guess so," he said, "but I haven't felt like…playing…since…"

He trailed off, unable to say since they'd lost Kaylee.

"Ah, Simon," Mal said, feeling his own grief rise to the surface, "River misses her just like you do. She wants attention because she's hurtin' inside, the same as all of us. Don't go shuttin' her out, son…"

Simon nodded. "You're right," he said, "I'll play with her the next time she asks."

Mal smirked. "Thatta boy," he said, and started to pat him on the back but stopped just in time. "Now, go take a shower."

Simon grinned. "Yes, _Pa,_" he said, cheekily.

Mal chuckled. "Simon," he called after him.

The boy turned to regard him. "Yes?"

Mal looked at him seriously. "Don't go shutin' the rest of us out, either," he said, quietly.

Simon nodded. "I won't," he told him. "I promise." He then turned and headed for the showers.

Mal grinned, and then turned to head for the galley to see just what kind of 'grub' his soon-to-be-wife and pseudo-daughter was cookin' up.

_Shadow may be my home planet,_ he thought to himself, _but it's not really my home._

_Serenity_ and her crew was all the home and family he would ever need.

Little did he know, but his family was soon to grow…in a very unexpected way.

TBC…


	2. Ma

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 2: Ma

Zoe landed the ship just on the outskirts of the Reynolds' family ranch.

"Good landin', Zoe," Mal told her, smiling, "now 'c'mon, I ain't about to face the ole lady without you."

Zoe smiled. "Yes, Sir," she said, getting up out of the passenger seat. "You plannin' on leavin' Jayne on board?"

"Yep," Mal told her, simply. "He ain't interestin' in comin', so I ain't pressin' it. Inara's gonna get a peaceful weddin', even if it ain't a big one."

Zoe nodded. "How you plannin' on makin' sure he don't steal the ship?" she asked, half curious, half amused.

Mal smirked. "Simple," he said. "I aim to scare the Goramn mess out of 'im 'fore we go."

He held up a large monkey wrench, smiling broadly. Zoe laughed, something she rarely did these days.

"You go round up 'Nara and the young'uns," he instructed her, "and I'll meet'cha at the shuttle in a few minutes."

"Aye, sir," she said and watched him go towards the galley where he knew Jayne was sure to be.

Shaking her head, the first mate went in search of her Captain's soon to be wife. She found her, of course, in her shuttle.

"Capt'n said to get ready," she told her, "we'll be pullin' out soon."

Inara, who was staring transfixed at several dresses laid out on her bed, looked at her frantically.

"You've met Mal's mother before, right?" she asked, hopefully.

Zoe nodded. "Couple of times," she told her, honestly, "why?"

Inara pointed to the dresses. "Which one should I wear to meet her in?" she asked, wringing her hands.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "You're askin' me, Inara?" she asked, gesturing to her leather uniform that she tended to wear all the time.

"Zoe," Inara pleaded, "this is important. I want Mrs. Reynolds to like me! I don't want her thinkin' I just some two bit floozy her son picked up on some God-forsaken moon!"

"Well, for starters," Zoe told her, amused at the normally well composed woman being so flustered, "don't call her Mrs. Reynolds—she hates that. It's either Sarah, or Ma…and only the Capt'n is allowed to call her that."

Inara nodded. "Okay," she said, "so…?" She again pointed to the dresses.

Zoe looked them over, eyeing each one critically. She picked one up and handed it to the former Companion.

"This one?" Inara asked, holding the dress up to her.

Zoe nodded. "It's blue, her favorite color," she told her, "and it's not as revealing as some of your others—it's simple in design, yet made of elegant fabric. It doesn't say 'rich bitch', but it also doesn't say 'backworld whore', either."

Inara sighed, relieved.

"Zoe, you're wonderful!" she told her, smiling. "Would you be my bridesmaid at the wedding?"

Zoe blinked. "Me?" she asked, thrown. "I mean, I thought since the Capt'n was gonna have Simon be his best man that you'd pick River…"

"River wants to be the flower girl," Inara told her. "I would have asked Kaylee…" She trialed off, blinking back tears.

Zoe nodded, understanding. "I'd be honored," she told her, quietly.

"Thank you," Inara said, hugging her.

Zoe returned the hug with feeling. Now being the only two grown women aboard had brought them a mite closer than they used to be.

"I don't have to wear a dress, do I?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

Inara smiled. "I have the perfect one," she assured her, grinning. "You'll look fabulous, I promise."

Zoe sighed. "I guess since it's a special occasion…" she said, resigned to her fate.

Inara just chuckled.

"We ready to go?" Mal asked, entering with River and Simon in tow.

Inara nodded. "As ready as we'll ever be," she said. "You pilot the shuttle, Capt'n, and Simon be his co-pilot. We girls need to change."

"Why?" Mal and Simon asked at the same time.

Inara rolled her eyes and pointed to the cockpit of the shuttle. "Go," she ordered, sternly.

"Yes, Ma'am," Mal and Simon both answered, doing as they were told.

River smiled. "They're so easy," she said, causing the other two women to laugh.

A few minutes later they were in the air headed for the heart of the Reynolds' ranch—the homestead.

Mal landed the shuttle just outside the house and watched as the front door open and an older woman with a cane came to stand on the front porch.

He took a deep breath and glanced at Simon. "Here goes nothin'," he said, standing up.

Simon also stood. "She can't be that bad, can she?" he asked, curiously.

Mal smirked. "You'll see," he told him and headed out of the cockpit. "Ready?"

Inara, who had changed into the blue dress Zoe had picked out, nodded. "As I'll ever be," she told him.

"All righty then," he said, clapping his hands together, "let's go say hello to the ole lady."

He opened the door of the shuttle and they trudged out with him in the lead, followed by Zoe, Inara, and the two kids.

He waved to the older lady, who had stepped off the front porch to get a better view of her guest.

"Howdy there, Ma," he greeted his mother, hoping against hope she was in a good mood.

Sarah Reynolds stood tall and straight, her hands resting on her cane, as she gazed steely eyed at her only offspring and his companions.

"Malcolm Reynolds," she exclaimed, "you ungrateful little cur!"

She stamped her cane down on the ground and spit.

Mal looked back over his shoulder. "We're in luck," he told them. "She's in a good mood."

"_That's_ a good mood?" Simon asked, wide eyed.

Mal smirked. "Trust me," he said, "if she hadn't been she'd have called me something a lot worse."

He stopped a few feet from his mother and held out his arms. "No hug for your baby boy, Ma?" he asked, cheekily.

She brandished her cane at him. "Come closer, boy," she growled at him, smirking, "and I'll give you what you really deserve!"

"Ah, c'mon, Ma," Mal argued back, "ain'tcha the least little bit happy to see me? It's been what, a year?"

"Two years!" his mother exclaimed. "And hardly a note or wave to say your still breathin' or not!"

Mal winced. He honestly hadn't realized it had been that long since he visited or called her.

"Sorry, Ma," he said, sincerely, "but I've been busy."

"Busy," Sarah scoffed. "Busy gettin' trouble, I reckon. C'mere, boy, and let me make sure your still in one piece."

Now, she did hold out her arms and Mal smiled. His ma couldn't stay mad at him for long.

He went to her and hugged her, and then winced as she whacked him upside the backside with her cane.

"Ow!" he yelped. "What was that for!?"

"Worryin' a body to death," she told him flatly. "Now move aside so's I can see who all you've got with ya."

Mal obeyed, not wanting to risk getting hit again. That cane hurt!

"Zoe, that you?" Sarah asked, smiling.

Zoe stepped forward to embrace the older woman. "Yes, Ma'am, it surely is," she told her, smiling.

"Still ridin' with my no account son, are you?" Sarah asked, smirking. "Well, a body can't have good sense all the time, I guess. Where's that husband of yours?"

Zoe's eyes clouded over with sadness at the mention of Wash. She tried to speak, but found she couldn't.

"Oh, darlin'," Sarah said, her voice less gruff now, "I'm so sorry—when did it happen?"

"Couple months back," Zoe told her, quietly.

"I know all too well, darlin'," Sarah told her. "Mal's pa up and died on me just after he was born, you know. The hurt never goes away, but it does get better with time."

Zoe nodded, comforted by the older woman's words. "Thank you," she told her, and then stepped beside her captain.

Inara, taking a deep breath, stepped forward. "Hello, Sarah," she said, smiling, "I'm Inara—Mal's fiancé."

"Ah," Sarah said, eyeing her up and down, "so you're the one who finally roped my bull headed son?"

Inara grinned at Mal. "Yes, ma'am," she told her, "and it wasn't easy, I assure you."

Sarah smiled. "Any woman who can match him bull-headedness for bull-headedness," she said, "definitely deserves him—and he couldn't have picked a prettier one, neither."

Inara felt herself blush at that. She had been told she was beautiful countless times by clients and others, but somehow it meant more coming from her soon-to-be mother-in-law than any one else in the 'verse, including Mal.

"Thank you, Sarah," she said, "I hope we will be good friends."

"I think, dearie," Sarah told her, "we'll be much more than that."

Inara smiled. "I'd like that," she said, and then went and stood beside Mal—who wrapped an arm around her waist.

This just left the two children. Sarah blinked at them. "What have we hear?" she asked, glancing at Mal. "I didn't think you liked havin' young'uns on that ship of yours?"

"Things change, Ma," Mal told her, grinning. "'Sides, Simon and River are special. He's our medic and she's our pilot."

"Bit young, ain't they?" Sarah asked, glancing at the children.

Simon stepped forward. "Appearances can be deceiving," he told her, holding out a hand. "I can assure you that my sister and I are very mature for our age. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Well, I declare," Sarah said, shaking his hand, "a boy with manners. Now, where were you when I was bringining up that no account over there. You could have taught him a thing or two…"

Simon smirked at Mal. "Yes, Ma'am," he said, ignoring the dirty look sent his way, "I'm sure I could have."

He stepped aside and River stepped up to her. "Well now," Sarah said, "ain't you a pretty little thing."

River stared at her intently. "Sarah," she said, "means 'princess'—in Hebrew."

"That it does, dearie," Sarah said, smiling. "Pretty and smart."

_You've got no idea, Ma, _Mal thought to himself.

"Darkness surrounds you," River spoke again, her voice and eyes distant.

Sarah blinked, a bit startled, but the others had seen that look often enough to know what it meant.

River was 'seeing' something.

"It moves closer and closer," she said, "and soon it will take you…as it did Kaylee, Wash, Mama…"

River blinked. "I hate the dark," she said, wrapping her arms around herself and going over to Inara.

Simon joined his sister, while Mal stepped up to his mother. "Ma?" he asked, curiously. "Got any idea what she meant by all that?"

Sarah sighed. "I reckon she meant I'm dyin', son," she told him, grinning.

Mal blinked. "What?" he asked, feeling as if the wind had got knocked out of him.

Sarah shrugged. "Doc says its spread too far to stop," she told him. "Ain't nothin' he can do 'cept give me stuff for pain."

"H-How long?" Mal asked, his voice thick with emotion.

Sarah grinned. "Long enough," she told him, "to see my boy happily wed with a woman that deserves him."

Mal smiled. "Is there anything…?"

She shook her head. "No, son," she told him, "I've lived a long, happy life. It's my time, that's all. I always tried to teach you, Mal, that death was apart of life."

He nodded. That she had. "What about the ranch?" he asked, staring around at his childhood home.

"It'll go to your no account cousin," she told him, "and his no account wife—but you'll get a percentage every years of the profits."

"Why?" Mal asked, puzzled. Why not leave it to him?

"He wants it, son," she told him, "and we both know you could never stand staying on the ground. You hightailed it off this rock the moment you got your chance, remember? You could never be happy here and we both know it. It's better this way."

Mal nodded, understanding. "Okay, Ma," he said, gently. "I'm sorry."

Sarah smiled and then whacked him with her cane again. He yelped.

"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his _other_ butt cheek.

"For gettin' sentimental," she told him. "I thought I raised you to be tough and stoic, just like me."

Mal smirked. Sure, she was tough and stoic. "Yes, Ma," he said, grinning.

Sarah smirked. "That's my boy," she said, "no c'mon. I've got some nice hot tea waitin' and we can discuss this weddin' that's to take place in a couple of days."

They all followed her inside, except Mal and River. "How long she got, Lil' one?" he asked, glancing down at the young Reader.

"The Darkness has consumed most of her," River told him, honestly. "It should have taken her by now. She's been waiting on something…"

Mal nodded. Yeah, and he knew what that something was.

_Me_, he thought. _She's been waiting for me._

"She loves you a lot," River told him, grinning. "You're a lot like her."

Mal nodded. "I reckon so," he said, reaching down to pat the girl's head. "C'mon, lil' Albatross, let's go bare the dragon's den."

River giggled, nodded, and they headed inside.

Mal smiled.

_I love you too, Ma._

TBC…


	3. The Chicken Thief

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 3: The Chicken Thief

After they had their nice hot tea, Sarah and Mal took the others on a tour of the ranch.

River and Simon both loved the horses.

"We had lessons, of course," the boy explained to the others, "and, naturally, River rode with the grace of pro, but me…"

"He fell off," River stated plainly, smirking.

Simon scowled at her. "Thanks a lot, sis," he grumbled, under his breath at her.

She just grinned at him. "Seventeen times," she informed the others, smugly.

Simon scowled even more. "How'd you like a face full of mud?" he asked, threateningly.

River snorted. "You'd miss," she told him, smugly. "I wouldn't."

"One of these days…" Simon started to say, but Mal placed a hand on his shoulders.

"All right, you two," he told them, "enough bickerin'. Let's get on with the show."

River smiled, Simon sighed. "Yes, sir," they answered, and followed him back to where the three women waited.

"Everythin' all right?" Sarah asked, curiously.

"Just a bit of siblin' fussin', that's all," he said, ruffling Simon's head. "Ain't that right, son?"

Simon scowled at him. "You're gonna need patching up eventually," he reminded him, sourly.

Mal removed his hand. "Remind me to shoot you later," he told him, smirking.

"I will," River said, before her brother could reply. This earned her a scowl from Simon.

"All right, Lil' Albatross," Mal ordered firmly, "that's enough of that now. I mean it."

"Of course, Captain," River replied, grinning.

Mal narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you makin' fun of me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

River looked him straight in the eye and asked back, "Am I?"

Sarah chuckled. "That girl has more wits in her little finger than you do in your whole body, Malcolm Reynolds," she told him, laughing.

Mal sighed. "Don't I know it," he told her. "C'mon, let's get on with the tour. I'm getting' a might peaked."

"Why is it when you're not winning an argument," Inara asked him, as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "that you suddenly find yourself in need of food."

Mal shrugged. "Just the way I am, Darlin'," he told her, pulling her close, "just the way I am."

"Don't you go believin' him none, girl," Sarah told her, rolling her eyes. "That boy's been a pain since the day he was born. I should know—I was in labor with him for a whole day and even then the doc had to pry him out!"

"Ah, Ma," Mal groaned. "Surely, I ain't that bad!?"

"Yes, you are," everybody answered him at the same time. He scowled at them.

"Thanks a lot," he muttered. Luckily, he was saved from further ridicule by the sound of the chickens being disturbed.

"What in the Goramn hell is happenin'?" he asked, scratching his head. "Those stupid birds don't usually make that much noise 'less…"

Just then something, or rather someone, darted out of the row of chicken houses headed for the fence on the other side of the yard.

He had in his grasp a nice plump, and thoroughly dead, hen.

"Calvin Tucker!" Sarah shouted waving her cane. "You get your hind-end back here so's I can tan it!"

Mal took off after the chicken thief, but River—somehow—beat him to it.

She suddenly appeared in front of the kid, startling him. She spun, kicked, and hit him square in the gut.

He and the chicken went flying, landing hard on his back on the ground.

River held him there by stomping a booted foot down on his chest.

Mal grinned. "That's my girl," he mumbled, and headed over to where she held down the little thief.

The boy couldn't have been more than twelve, small and skinny, with light brown hair and eyes. He was dressed in dirty overalls, no shoes, and he was far from being the cleanest person he'd ever seen.

"I'll take it from here, Lil'one," Mal told River. "You get back beside your brother now."

The girl nodded, smiled, and then skipped back to where she had been standing beside Simon.

Mal glanced down at the boy, who seemed too scared to move, and asked, "You okay, son?"

He reached down and lifted the lad to his feet. He also picked up the dead chicken. "I think my ma wants a word with you," he told him, grabbing a hold of the back of his overalls.

"Ah, c'mon," the boy pleaded as he was practically dragged back toward the others. "Have a heart, mister. That ole dragon-lady'll roast me alive!"

Mal chuckled. "Can't disagree with you there," he told him, "but I'd say it'll only be your behind that gets roasted 'stead of all of you."

The boy scowled at him. "That's even worse," he grumbled. "That cane of hers hurts!"

_Don't I know it,_ Mal thought with a smirk. His backside was still sore from earlier.

"Can't say you don't deserve it, son," he told him, holding up the dead chicken. "Didn't your ma and pa not teach ya stealin' was wrong?"

_Whoa! Easy there, Mal,_ he warned himself, _you're treadin' on touchy ground there…_

"Here's your chicken thief, Ma," he told Sarah, as he brought the boy before her.

She immediately latched onto the lad's ear and he yelped. "Calvin Tucker," she growled, "what have I told you 'bout stealin' my chickens!?"

"Ah, c'mon," the boy argued, wincing as his ear was given a sharp tug, "it's only one itty bitty hen!"

"That ain't the point, boy," Sarah growled at him, whacking him on the behind with her cane.

The boy yelped, jumping. "Ow!" he exclaimed, and Mal winced in sympathy. So did Simon.

"If I hadn't promised your ma on her deathbed I'd look after you, boy," Sarah growled at him, "I'd give a real tannin', sure and certain."

She sighed, and released his ear. "As it stands," she told him, "I ain't got the time to deal with you. Seeing as how the chicken's neck is already rung, you might as well go on and take it, boy, but if I catch you in my chicken coop again…"

The boy snatched the dead chicken from Mal and took off like a shot. "You won't," he called back over his shoulder, smirking.

He was over the fence and heading into the wood before any could blink an eye.

Sarah sighed, shaking her head. "That boy," she said, resting her hands on her cane.

"Who is he?" Inara asked, curiously.

"Calvin Tucker," her soon-to-be mother-in-law answered.

Mal scratched his head. "Any relation to Doreen Tucker?" he asked his mother, quietly.

"Her son," Sarah told him, her eyes going sad. "Delivered him myself, I did. Tended to his ma, too, when she caught the fever a few years back. Unfortunately, she didn't make it."

A sad look crossed Mal's face. "Oh," he said, quietly. "What about the boy? What about his pa?"

"Doreen took that particular secret with her to her grave," Sarah told him. "It must not have been too serious, though…there's only one man that girl ever loved."

"Who was that?" Simon asked, curiously.

"Mal," River answered, before Sarah could. They all looked at the captain.

He shrugged. "Doreen and I were childhood sweethearts," he explained. "We grew up together."

"What happened?" Inara asked him, gently.

"The war happened," Mal explained, a distant look in his eyes. "I wanted to go off and fight, she wanted to stay here." He paused a moment, but then continued.

"She wrote once or twice, but then the letters stopped. I just figured she'd found herself somebody else. After the war, other than to visit Ma, I saw no reason to come back."

"Oh, Mal," Inara whispered, wrapping an around his waist, "I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "Wasn't meant to be, that's all," he said, smirking. "Otherwise, I'd never have met you."

She smiled at him. "Yes, I suppose that's true," she said, but then looked at Sarah. "Who looks after him now?"

She was referring to the Tucker boy.

"I try to," Sarah said, "but that boy is as wild as the wind—much like another lad I used to know."

Mal blushed at that. "I wasn't that bad, Ma," he told her, clearing his throat.

"Really?" Sarah asked, smirking. "I seem to recall a certain little feller gettin' himself a good tannin' for runnin' off and stayin' gone for three days straight once…"

Mal blushed even more. "I was eight, Ma," he told her, "and I said I was sorry."

She snorted. "Only after you'd been switched," she told him, smirking. "The way you squirmed, you'd have thought I took the hide off of you."

Mal involuntarily reached back to rub. "The way I 'member it," he told her, "you near did."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Every gray hair on this old head can be laid at your feet, Malcolm Reynolds," she told him, affectionately, "and don't you ever forget that!"

He chuckled. "I won't Ma," he told her, "believe me."

"Uh huh," she said, grinning. "Well, I reckon we'd best get inside so's I can rustle up some supper for us. C'mon then."

They all started to follow her inside, except River. Simon glanced back at his sister, who was staring off where the Tucker boy had run.

"What is it?" he asked her, puzzled.

River smiled. "He's more like Mal than she knows," she told him, cryptically.

"I don't get it," he said, blinking at her in confusion.

"You will," River told him, knowingly. "C'mon. I'll race you!" She took off running for the house.

Simon shook his head, grinning. _Sisters!_

He then took off after her, determined to beat her this time…

…and of course, he lost.

TBC…


	4. The Wedding

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 4: The Wedding

Mal and Inara's wedding took place the next day in the parlor at the ranch.

Mal, dressed in the only suit he owned, and Simon—also in the only suit he now owned—stood with the local lawman (who was acting Justice of the Peace) while they waited for the women.

Inara, Zoe, and River were with Sarah in her bedroom getting ready.

From a trunk at her bed, the older lady pulled out a delicate white gown.

"Here you go, dear," she said, handing the gown to Inara, "this should fit you nicely."

Inara's eyes widened as she gently took the delicate dress. "Sarah," she asked, "is this…?"

The older lady nodded, smiling. "This gown has been passed down from mother to daughter in my family for neigh on three generations," she told her.

Inara gazed at the gown in awe. "It's beautiful," she said, "but I can't accept it…it belongs in your family…"

"And aren't about to become a part of my family, dear?" Sarah asked her, pointedly. "I never had a daughter to hand it down to, so I always said I would give it to whoever managed to finally rope that stubborn son of mine. Please, wear it. It would mean a lot to me."

Inara blinked back tears. "I'd be honored to," she said. "Will you help me put it on?"

Sarah smiled. "Of course, dear," she said, and assisted the former Companion into the dress.

Once on, Inara gazed at herself in the mirror. The dress itself was simple, yet elegant, and to her surprise fit her perfectly.

"My dear," Sarah told her, "you look quite stunning."

Inara blushed. "Thank you," she said.

"Can't wait to see the Capt'n's face when he gets a gander at you," Zoe told her, smirking.

"You look very nice too, Miss Zoe," Sarah told her, nodding her head at the tight fitting dress Inara had loaned her.

"Wash would certainly have liked seeing me in it," she said, smiling sadly.

"He's smiling," River spoke up, quietly.

Zoe looked at her, blinking. "Thank you, River," she told her. "You're mighty pretty yourself."

River smiled, twirling in the ruffled dress she wore. "Pretty as a princess," she said, smirking.

Sarah chuckled. "That you are, dear," she told her, reaching out to caress the girl's face.

Just then there came a knock on the door. "You ladies 'bout ready?" Tom, the lawman, asked, hesitantly. "I think the men folk are getting' a might antsy out here."

Sarah snorted while the other three just smiled. "You tell that no account son of mine he'll just have to hold his horses, Tom," she called out to the lawman. "We'll be out when we're good and ready and not a moment sooner, ya hear!"

"Yes, Ma'am, I hear," Tom replied, and there was amusement in his voice. "I'm quite certain you're no account son heard, too."

Sarah chuckled at that. "Well, my dear," she said to Inara, "are you ready to wed that son of mine?"

Inara wrapped her mother's delicate lace shawl around her head and shoulders, and nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am," she told her, "I believe I am."

Sarah nodded. "All right then," she said. "I'll go out first. River'll come next, then Zoe, and finally you. Okay?"

The others nodded at this plan and she walked over to the door, turning back to look at them one final time.

"Don't ever tell Mal I said this now," she said, "but this is perhaps the happiest day of my life."

"It's the happiest day of mine, too," Inara told her, smiling. "Your secret is safe with us, I think."

Zoe and River both nodded, smiling at the older lady. Sarah grinned, nodded, and then exited the room.

A few minutes later, music began to play.

River grabbed her basket of flower petals she and Simon had picked last night before sunset, squared her shoulders, and opened the door.

"Guess it's my turn," Zoe said, smiling at Inara.

"Are you all right?" Inara asked. "Are you sorry…?"

Zoe placed a hand over her mouth. "I wouldn't have missed this for all the money in the 'verse," she told her. "I have no doubt River's right. Wash, Book, and Kaylee are smiling down from the here after right now."

Inara smiled. "You better go on," she said, "before Mal decides to send a search party."

Zoe nodded, picked up her own small bouquet, and stepped out the door into the parlor.

A few minutes later, the music changed a little bit, and Inara knew that was her cue to go out.

Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath, and opened the door…

…to find Mal standing there with his arm out.

"Couldn't wait," he told her, smirking. "Thought I'd walk down with ya."

She smiled, taking his arm. "I'd be honored to walk down the aisle with you, petty thief."

"Now, is that any way to talk 'bout your soon-to-be husband?" he asked, as they started walking.

"It is when it's the truth," she told him, smirking. "You _are_ a petty thief—but you're _my_ petty thief now, Malcolm Reynolds."

He smiled at that. "Reckon that's okay then," he said, as they reached the end of the aisle.

They turned to face each other, clasping hands. Simon stood just behind Mal and Zoe just behind Inara.

River stood just behind her and Sarah just behind Simon. The lawman took out a worn leather Bible.

"Friends and Family," he began, "we are gathered here today to join this man, Malcolm Reynolds, and this woman, Inara Sara, in the bonds of holy matrimony. If there be anyone present who can object to this union, please speak now or forever hold your peace?"

Mal was suddenly very glad they had left Jayne on the ship.

The loud mouth merc probably wouldn't have understood the question and spoke up to ask what the man meant…

When no one answered, he continued. "Do you, Malcolm Reynolds, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Mal gulped, but nodded. "I do," he practically whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

The lawman nodded, and then glanced at Simon. "May I have the ring, please?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Simon handed the simple silver band to him. He then handed it to Mal. "Place this ring on the third finger of her left hand and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed'," he instructed, gently.

"With this ring, I thee wed," Mal said, slipping the ring onto Inara's finger.

The lawman nodded, and then looked at Inara.

"Do you, Inara Sara, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Inara smiled. "I do," she replied clearly and without hesitation.

"May I have the ring, please?" Tom asked Zoe, holding out his hand.

She handed him the larger silver band meant for Mal. He then handed it to Inara.

"Place this band on the finger of his left hand and say 'With this ring, I thee wed'," he instructed her.

"With this ring, I thee wed," she repeated the man's words, slipping the band onto Mal's finger.

The lawman closed the Bible. "Now that Malcolm and Inara have exchanged vows and rings," he said, smiling, "it is with great pleasure that I now pronounce them husband and wife. You may kiss the bride now, Mal."

Mal smiled. "Now that's something I don't need to be told twice, Tom," he said, pulling Inara to him and kissing her passionately.

The others all cheered, clapping there hands together and then proceeded to hug the newlywed couple.

Zoe smiled at Mal. "I never thought I'd see the day, Sir," she told him, hugging him.

"Thanks, Zoe," he told her. "I just wish…"

She nodded, understanding. "I know, Sir," she told him. "Me, too."

Simon hugged Inara. "I guess this means your ma now, huh?" he asked her, smirking.

She smiled at him. "You know I'd never try to take your mother's place, Simon," she told him, gently.

He nodded. "I know," he said, "and it's okay. I'm glad River will have someone to talk to about all that girl stuff…"

"Aren't you a doctor?" she asked him, smirking.

He blushed. "Uh…"

She laughed. "I'm only teasing," she told him, kissing him on the cheek.

He smiled. "I know," he told her. "Congratulations."

River hugged Mal. "So, lil'one," he whispered to her, "what do you see in that crystal ball of yours? Nothin' bad, I hope."

"No," River said, smiling, "just a few little surprises…"

Mal looked a bit worried that. "Don't suppose you'll tell me more, huh?" he asked, grinning.

River smiled. "Where's the fun in that?"

He sighed. "That's what I thought," he said, patting her head. He then went and shook the law man's hand.

Sarah hugged Inara. "Welcome to the family, dear," the older lady whispered to her new daughter-in-law.

"Thank you, Sarah," Inara whispered, "for everything."

"Your welcome, girl," she told her, "and you'd best not take anything from that son of mine…"

Inara smiled. "Oh, trust me," she said, "I never have and I'm not about to start now."

Sarah chuckled. "That a girl," she said, patting her on the back. She then moved to her son.

"Well, Ma," Mal said, holding his arms out, "do I get a hug or a whack?"

"Hmm, let me think," Sarah said, tapping her chin, "I'm sure if I think hard enough I can find something you've done to deserve a good whackin'…"

"Ma," Mal sighed, rolling his eyes, "just get over here and hug me already!"

"All right, boy," she said, pulling him into a tight embrace. She then promptly whacked him gently with her cane.

He sighed again. "What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his thigh gently.

"For thinkin' yer old enough to tell your ole ma what to do," she said, wagging a finger at him. "I ain't part of your crew, boy, so don't go orderin' me about."

Mal nodded. "Yes, Ma'am," he said, gently. "Can I have another hug?"

"I reckon so," Sarah said, hugging him even tighter. "I'm proud of you, son. Never forget that."

Mal blinked back tears. He suddenly felt mighty chocked up. To hide this, he simply nodded.

Sarah smiled at him, patting him gently on the back. "All right," she said, tapping her cane on the floor, "now that the weddin' is over with, let's get to the reception. I spent the better part of the mornin' whippin' up somethin' delicious so let's get to eatin' it."

Tom, the law man, patted his rather wide stomach and smiled. "I hear that," he said, laughing a great belly laugh.

The other's all smiled at that, and Sarah just shook her head. "Men and their stomachs," she muttered, heading into the dining room where the food was.

The others followed and the rest of the afternoon was spent in much merry making, toasting, and eating.

As the sun began to set, they all changed clothes and headed out to the shuttle.

"You're welcome to stay longer," Sarah told them, as she leaned against her cane.

"I know, Ma," Mal told her, "but if we leave Jayne alone too much longer he's liable to 'tempt to take off with my ship."

She nodded, understanding. "Then you'd be off then, boy," she told him, "but you take care of that ship and this little family you got here, understand?"

Mal nodded. "I will, Ma," she told him. "You can count on it."

She nodded. "You'd best, Malcolm Reynolds," she told him, "or else I'll have to come give you a good lickin'…"

Mal nodded, knowing she'd do it to. "Ma," he asked, stepping forward to embrace her, "are you sure…?"

"Now, none of that," she told him. "Today I got to see the one thing I didn't think I'd live to see, my boy is happily wed with a good woman to look after him, so I can now die a completely happy woman."

"Ma," Mal said, blinking back tears.

"No, Mal," she told him, "don't you start gettin' sentimental on me now, boy, or I'll tan you right here and now. Off you go. No regrets, remember?"

"Yes, Ma," Mal said, "I remember. No regrets." Though, he had plenty of those he wasn't about tell _her_ that.

She nodded. "Good, lad," she said, patting him gently on the shoulder, "now move aside so I can say a proper goodbye to these others."

He did as he was told, watching as she hugged first Inara, then Zoe, then Simon, and lastly River—who whispered something to her.

His mother grew wided-eyed, but then smiled, and then hugged the young girl even tighter.

"Thank you for telling me, dear," he heard her whisper. "I had my suspicions about that."

River grinned, kissing her on the cheek. "He waiting for you, you know," she told her, seriously.

Sarah smiled. "I know," she told her, "and I reckon I'll be with him soon."

River nodded. "The Darkness only lasts a few moments," she told her, "and then there's nothing but Light—forever."

Sarah nodded. "You'll look after everybody for me, won't you?" she asked, knowingly.

"I'll try," she said, "but Simon can be pretty stubborn."

Sarah laughed, hugging her again. "You are a treasure, child," she told her, "now run along. They're waiting."

River nodded, and skipped to where the others were waiting by the shuttle. They all boarded, and she was last except for Mal.

"What was that about?" he asked her, gently.

She blinked at him. "Which part?" she asked, curiously.

"I got that last bit, lil'Albatross," he told her, "I ain't that dense—I mean when you whispered to her. What did you say?"

The girl just smiled at him, knowingly. "You'll see," she told him, and then skipped on up into the shuttle.

He sighed. That girl and her confounded riddles drove him crazy at times!

He glanced back at his ma one last time, knowing that this would probably be the last time he would ever see her alive.

"Remember, Mal," she told him, smiling, "no regrets."

He nodded. "I'll remember, Ma," he told her. "I-I love you."

She smiled at him. "I love you too, son. Now, go on with you."

He nodded, waved one last time, and then entered the shuttle and closed the door.

He sighed.

Inara wrapped her arms around him. "You okay?" she asked, gently.

He turned to face her, placing his hands on his shoulders. "I think so," he told her. "Are you ready to head home, Mrs. Reynolds?"

Inara smiled at that. "Whenever you are, Captain Reynolds," she told him.

"Then, let's go," he said. "Zoe, let's head home."

"Aye, Sir," Zoe said, and lifted the shuttle into the air and headed back for _Serenity._

Simon glanced over at River, finding her smiling to herself. "What is it?" he asked, curious.

River just continued to smile. "You'll see," she said, cryptically.

"See what?" he asked, rolling his eyes. He looked around the shuttle but found nothing out of place.

"The little surprise," River told him, smugly.

"What little surprise?" Simon hissed at her, annoyed.

"You'll see," River told him again, her eyes laughing at him.

He seriously felt like swearing just then. Instead, he stomped over to the sofa muttering to himself.

No one noticed River glance toward the bed, or rather to underneath it…

She smiled, knowingly.

Mal was just going to _love_ his little surprise!

TBC…


	5. The Stowaway

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 5: The Stowaway

"So," Jayne asked, as everyone exited the shuttle after it had docked with _Serenity,_ "you two hitched?"

Mal snorted. "Nah, Jayne," he said, sarcastic, "we just had a weddin' for no reason…" He rolled his eyes.

"I was just askin'," Jayne grumbled, sourly.

Inara smiled. "We know, Jayne," she said, kindly, "and yes, Mal and are 'hitched' now."

The merc smiled, looking at Mal. "Can I have your bunk then?" he asked, hopefully. "It's bigger than mine?"

Mal frowned. "And why would I give you my bunk?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, well," Jayne said, glancing at Inara, "I just figured you'd be movin' in with 'Nara here, seein' as how she's yer wife and all…"

"He has you there, Capt'n," Zoe told him, smiling.

Mal scowled. "Uh huh," he said, "do you think you could get us off the ground?"

Zoe nodded. "Aye, Sir," she said, and then headed for the bridge. River and Simon followed her.

"So," Jayne asked, "about the bunk…?"

"Jayne," Mal said, sighing, "it's my weddin' night and I'd hate to have to kill you on it, so…go find somethin' useful to do all right?"

Jayne pouted. "Fine," he grumbled, and then stalked off with his muttering to himself.

"I swear," Mal said, shaking his head, "he's worse than the youn'guns."

"Maybe you should try spanking him every once in a while," Inara said, smirking.

Mal snorted. "Maybe I will," he said, seriously, "or I could just toss him out the air lock. That'd be fun to watch."

"Uh huh," Inara said, grinning, "or you could just let him have your bunk." She wrapped her arms around him.

He smiled. "Are you tryin' to seduce me, Mrs. Reynolds?" he asked, teasing.

"What do you think, Captain Reynolds?" she asked him, leaning her head up for a kiss.

"I think," he said, bending down to meet her half way, "I'm the luckiest bastard in the 'verse right about now."

They kissed…a long, passionate, kiss that stole both their breaths.

When they parted, Inara grabbed his hand and started to pull him back into the shuttle they had just exited.

Mal, however, paused with an uncertain look on his face.

Inara frowned. "What is it?" she asked, puzzled.

Mal gulped. How to put this delicately?

"Uh, well," he said, rubbing a hand through his hair, "it's just…this is our weddin' night…"

"Yes," Inara said, "and…are you nervous?" She smiled at that very idea.

"No, 'course not," Mal said, blushing a little bit, "it's just…" He nodded his head at the shuttle.

Inara's frown deepened as she tried to think what he was getting at. "The shuttle?" she asked. "What about it?"

"Well, it's just," he said, "you know, where you used to…you know."

Inara's eyes widened. "Where I used to 'entertain' my clients, is that it?" she asked, hands on her hips.

There was an icy tone to her voice that Mal recognized instantly as a warning that she was quickly getting annoyed.

"Well, yeah," he said, feeling a little sheepish.

"Are you ashamed of me?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"No," Mal stated, quickly, "of course not! You're my wife, Inara!"

"If you aren't ashamed," she asked, "why should it matter where we spend our first night as husband and wife?"

"Well, I guess…" Mal stuttered, at a loss for what to say.

Inara stepped to him, kissing him again.

"I love you, Malcolm Reynolds," she told him, "but my bed is much comfortable then that bunk of yours and if there's one thing I want to be on my wedding night it's comfortable."

Mal smiled. "Can't argue with that," he said, smirking.

Inara smirked back. "C'mon then, Captain," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the shuttle.

They stopped just at the bed, kissing once more. Mal laid Inara back onto the bed, gently, never once breaking the kiss.

A small sound reached his ears, and he looked up puzzled.

"What is it?" Inara asked him, curiously.

He blinked at her, glancing around the shuttle. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. He shrugged.

"Nothin'," he told her, grinning. "Now, where was I?" He leaned back down to continue their foreplay.

A movement out of the corner of his eye got his attention and he glanced to see something crawling across the floor towards the shuttle door.

He sprang up and was on top of whatever it was in a second. There was a squeal and several curses as he lifted whatever or whoever it was off the floor.

"You," Mal stammered shocked to see the little chicken thief from yesterday.

"Goramn it!" the boy, Calvin Tucker, growled at him, "let me go, you piece of horse shi—Hey!"

He suddenly found a hand clamped over his mouth. "Didn't your mama ever teach you it wasn't nice to call a body that?" Mal asked, annoyed.

The boy just scowled at him.

"Now, what the hell do—OW!" Mal yelped, pulling his hand away. He dropped the boy.

Inara was beside him in an instant. "What is it?" she asked, concerned.

"He bit me!" Mal growled, glaring down at the boy and nursing his bitten hand at the same time.

The boy was out the shuttle door before they could catch him.

"Hey!" Mal yelled. "Get back here, you little—" He and Inara took off after the fleeing child.

He didn't get far before a booted foot connected with his stomach, sending him flying once more onto his back.

That same booted foot held him down. River smiled at him. "I knew it was you," she said, smiling.

Simon and Jayne came up behind her, while Mal and Inara caught up to all of them.

"You knew he was in the shuttle?" Mal asked the girl, narrowing his eyes.

River nodded. "Yes," she told him. "Under the bed."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Mal demanded, crossing his arms.

River shrugged. "I just did," she said, simply.

Inara giggled, earning a scowl from Mal. She just shrugged.

He shook his head. "Jayne, go tell Zoe to turn around," he growled, "we've got a stowaway to take back."

"No!" the boy on the ground yelled. "Please, I'll do anythin'! Just don't take me back!"

"Don't worry," River told him, getting off him and helping him to his feet, "he won't send you back."

"Oh?" Mal asked her, raising an eyebrow. "Why is that, Lil'Albatros?"

"He's supposed to be here," River told him, plainly. "I saw it."

"Oh, you did," Mal said, "and what exactly did you see?"

The girl's habit of withholding information at times really annoyed him.

"Two things," she told him. "I saw a public reason and a private reason for him to be here."

"Okay," Mal said, nodding his head as if he understood, "I think I'm followin'. What's the public reason?"

River glanced at the boy, who looked back anxiously. "He's like Kaylee," she said, smiling.

"What do you mean?" Simon asked, curious.

"Machines talk to him like they did her," she explained, and then glanced at Mal. "He can fix stuff."

Mal smirked. "That true?" he asked, looking at the boy. "You good a fixin' stuff?"

The boy nodded. "I reckon so," he answered. "If it's got an engine, I can get fix it."

"We have been needing a mechanic," Inara stated, quietly.

Mal nodded, but looked at River. "What's the other reason?" he asked, curiously. "The…uh…private one."

"He's your son," River stated, earning shocked looks from _everyone_ around her.

"Say what?" Mal and Calvin exclaimed at the same time.

River glanced at him. "His name isn't Tucker," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, it is," Calvin growled.

"Not your last name, though," she said, "it's just your middle name. His last his Reynolds—Calvin Tucker Reynolds."

Mal gulped, glanced at Inara. She touched his shoulder, supportively.

"Doreen never told anyone," River explained. "She didn't find out until three months after you had left."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Mal asked, glancing at Calvin as if truly seeing him for the first time.

The features were there, there was no doubt about that, and certainly the boy had his attitude and bravado.

"She knew if she had," River explained, "then you would have come back to be with her. She knew you wouldn't have liked staying on Shadow—she knew your heart belonged to the sky."

Mal smiled. "Yeah, she was always sayin' that," he said, quietly. "She still could have told me."

River nodded, agreeing, but didn't say anything further.

Everyone fell silent, lost in their own thoughts, for several seconds. It was Jayne, of course, who broke it.

"This mean we ain't turnin' back?" he asked, curious.

They all looked at Mal, who looked into Calvin's eyes. "Yeah, I reckon we ain't," he said, "and it looks like we got ourselves a new grease monkey."

The boy smiled. "You mean it?" he asked, hopefully.

Mal reached out and touched his shoulder. "C'mon," he said, "I'll show you the engine room and then get you a bunk..."

Inara tapped him on the shoulder. He glanced at her, and then looked guilty.

She smiled at him. "I'll be waiting in the shuttle," she assured him, kissing him on the cheek, "and get him clean while you're at it."

He smiled. "Will do," he said. "C'mon."

Wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulder, he led him away down the corridor.

"Great," Jayne muttered, "another brat…is this a ship or a nursery?"

River scowled at him. "Just remember," she said, "this brat can kill you with her mind."

Jayne's eyes widened. "All right, all right," he said, holding up his hand defensively. "I'll be in my bunk."

He quickly exited.

Simon sighed. "So, Mal has a son," he said, an unusual feeling bubbling up in him at that moment.

River glanced at him. "Don't worry, Simon," she told him. "He still loves us like we were his own—you'll see."

"Who said I was worried?" Simon asked, though his eyes gave away his hurt a bit.

Inara placed at hand on his shoulder. "It'll be all right," she told them. "Simon, why don't you go get him something to wear. We'll have to buy him some clothes at our next stop."

Simon nodded and headed for his room.

River glanced at Inara. "You should wear the black one," she told her.

Inara looked down at her puzzled. "The black what?" she asked, curious.

"The black night dress," River told her, smirking, "the one that's see through…he'll love that."

Inara blushed a little bit, but then smirked. "Sometimes, River Tam," she told her, tweaking, "you see a bit too much."

River shrugged. "I can't help it," she said, grinning.

Inara laughed. "Yes, I know," she said, hugging her. "Sarah was right. You truly are a treasure."

River smirked.

"So, you _are_ going to wear the black one."

TBC…


	6. Cal

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 6: Cal

"So," Mal told Calvin as they entered the engine room, "this is it. What'cha think?"

The boy looked around a moment and then back at him and smiled. "It's totally banger!"

"That's good," Mal said, hesitantly, "right?"

"You joking?" the boy told him, smirking. "It's better than 'good'! I've always wanted to have a real ship to work on!"

"That's interestin'," Mal told him, "cuz I always wanted my own ship…"

He really didn't know what to say to the boy...

What exactly did you say to the son you never knew you had and had only just met?

Calvin, however, didn't seem fazed in the least.

"Ole Lady Sarah said you hightailed it off Shadow like you're ass was on fire," he told him, smirking. "Can't say as I blame ya none…I hated it there, too."

Mal frowned at the 'ole lady Sarah' bit, but the boy's tone wasn't disrespectful or anything, so it let it slide.

"Listen, Calvin…"

"It's Cal," the boy told him. "I only hear Calvin when I've stepped in it real good, ya know?"

Mal did indeed know. He'd stepped into it pretty deep himself a time or two.

"Yeah, I know what ya mean," he told the lad. "I go by Mal myself."

"Is that what I'm supposed to call you? Cal asked him, curiously. "Or should I stick to 'Capt'n' or 'Sir'?"

Mal was stumped on that one. The boy was now his ship's mechanic, but he was also his son…

Of course, Simon and River still called him 'Mal', so…

"I reckon Mal will do, 'less I'm givin' you an order a course," he told him. "So, you think ya'll be able to handle this ole girl?" He patted the wall of _Serenity._

This had to be the most awkward conversation he had ever had with anyone before…

Cal nodded. "I reckon so," he said, grinning. "Is that where I bunk?"

He nodded his head at Kaylee's old hammock hanging off to the side.

"I guess if ya want to you can," Mal told him, scratching his chin, "but I'm sure we can find a bunk for you…"

He didn't much like the idea of anyone, not even his own son, taking Kaylee's room.

_Wonder if Simon would mind sharin'..._

"That's okay," Cal told him, slinging the worn bag he was carrying on back down. "This is perfect."

He gave the hammock a try and found it to his liking. "Would it be alright if I took a little lie down?" he asked, curiously.

Mal nodded. "Sure, go ahead," he told him. "Later on, I'll introduce ya to everyone, okay?"

The boy nodded, placing his hand behind his head and nodded. "Sure," he said, sleepily. "Sorry 'bout interrupin' things with the new missus…?"

Mal smirked. "Wasn't the first time she and I was interrupted," he told him, grinning. "Just don't make a habit of it, okay?"

Cal grinned. "Sure thing," he mumbled, and then drifted off to sleep as the hammock swayed like a cradle rocking a baby to sleep.

Mal watched him a moment, studying him. He couldn't help but compare the two of them and found that they did indeed resemble each other.

_Hope he didn't get my stubbornness too otherwise we'll be going a few rounds I bet…_

"You will," a voice behind him spoke, causing him to jump. He turned to find River standing there.

He glanced to see if Cal had awakened or not and found that he hadn't. "Warn a fella next time, lil'one," he whispered at her. "Ya nearly gave me a heart attack…"

River grinned. "That's highly unlikely," she told him. "The chance of you having a heart attack are…"

He held up his hand to forestall the math lesson he knew he was about to get.

"I really could care less," he told her. "What did ya mean 'we will'?"

"You were thinking that you and he would fight if he inherited your stubbornness," she told him, grinning. "He did and so you will…"

Mal grinned, wryly. "Thanks for the heads up," he told her, "now I think someone needs to get herself to her bunk…"

"Yes, Zoe should rest," River told him, smirking.

Mal blinked. Had his lil' Albatross just made a joke at his expense?

He snorted. _Wouldn't be the first time…_

"I meant you, young lady," he told her, reaching out to tweak her nose.

River giggled. "I know," she told him, smirking. "I'm going." With that, she turned and headed for her room.

Mal sighed, glancing at Cal once again. He shook his head. _Three of 'em…what am I gonna do?_

Deciding that was question that could wait 'til tomorrow, he turned and headed back toward the shuttle where he'd left his newlywed bride.

It was after still they're wedding night.

_Wonder if she's wearin' that black night gown I like so much…?_

TBC…


	7. Time

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 7: Time

Over the next few days, things on _Serenity _settled into a quiet (or as quiet as they could on space ship) routine.

Mal spent his days with Cal, watching over the boy as he familiarized himself with his ship's inner workings; and his nights with Inara (familiarizing _himself_ with _her_ inner workings).

"You think you can fix it?" Mal asked Cal as the lad tried to repair a broken part of the ship's engine.

Cal snorted. "Course I can fix it," he told him, sarcastically. "It just might take a little time's all."

It was Mal's turn to snort.

"Hate to break it to ya, son," he told the boy, "but time is something we ain't got a whole lot of. We're due in at Gilly in less than five hours. _I_ need that bit fixed by then."

"Keep your boxers on, Capt'n," Cal told his…uh…captain, "least 'til you get with that pretty wife of yours. I'll have this bit of the ole girl fixed by the time we get to Gilly."

"Ya'd better," Mal growled at him, "else I'll be makin' sure your boxers come down…and believe me…ya won't like what happens then...and for the record, what me and my 'pretty wife' do or don't do is none of your business, kiddo."

Cal rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever," he said, grabbing a wrench and starting. "Why don't you go bug somebody else for a while, Capt'n? I'm a little busy here."

Mal chuckled, shaking his head.

He and the boy were a lot alike, which meant they were probably going to butt heads fairly often.

"All righty then," he said, smirking, "I'll just be goin' up to the bridge to relieve Zoe."

The boy didn't answer, merely continued tinkering with his bit of the ship.

As Mal passed the galley and the lounge, he found Simon sprawled out on the sofa.

He blinked, not sure why, but not exactly thinking this scenario was right somehow.

"You okay there, Doc?" he asked the de-aged boy, coming over and sitting in one of the chairs.

Simon didn't answer, merely continued to stare up at the ceiling.

Mal frowned. The boy had to have heard him, he wasn't deaf after all?

Reaching over to grab hold of his shoulder, he gave him a little shake to get his attention.

Simon's eyes rolled toward him. "Yes?" he asked, rolling his eyes back heavenward.

"I asked if you were okay?" Mal repeated his previous question. "It ain't like you to just sit 'round like this in the middle of the day…"

Simon shrugged. "It isn't like I have anything to do," he said. "No one has been shot at, stabbed, or generally broken any bones…so my services aren't required. Besides, Kaylee always liked it when she and I used to sit here when we had free time…

Ah, so that it explained it. Simon was missing Kaylee.

Mal missed the young girl, too…her death was still very much an open wound in his heart.

"Ah, son," he said, awkwardly, "I—"

"I'm not your son, Capt'n," Simon cut him off. "I believe our new mechanic has that privilege…"

Uh oh. So, that was another thing that was bothering the de-aged boy. He was just a tad bit jealous of Cal.

Mal frowned, but then sighed. He'd have to have a chat with Inara about how to handle this…

He stood up. "I thought we had moved past the 'you ain't my pa' bit already, Simon," he said, sadly, "but I reckon we still have some things to work out. We'll work 'em out, I promise. With time…"

"Time is a river," River appeared seemingly out of now where, causing both of them to jump. "It ebbs and flows, but never dries up."

Mal and Simon glanced at each other, shrugged, and then stared at the girl in puzzlement.

"Mind explainin' that lil' bit of wisdom to, lil' Albatross?" the captain asked, raising an eyebrow.

The girl shrugged. "There's always time," she said, smiling.

"Uh huh," he said, "right…listen, do you mind goin' and relieving' Zoe at the wheel?"

"Of course not," she said, smiling. "Inara is waiting for you, by the way. In the shuttle."

She then turned and scampered toward the bridge.

Mal smirked, the girl's ability to know what he was thinking even before he did amazed him at times.

He glanced down at her brother, who was once more staring into space.

"How about 'stead of starin' into space, you go start dinner," he suggested, thinking that would give the lad something to do beside mope and miss Kaylee.

"It's Jayne's night to do dinner," Simon replied, not bothering getting up.

Mal's eyes narrowed. "I know that, Simon," he told him. "I want you to go help him. Now."

His tone of voice had hardened, brooking no argument.

Simon sighed, and got to his feet. He scowled at him. "Yes, sir," he growled, angrily. He then turned and stormed into the galley.

Mal sighed, shaking his head. _If that one doesn't lose the attitude, I'm gonna have to give him a lickin' to straighten him up…_

Sighing, he turned and headed for the shuttle. Maybe his new bride would help him find a solution that didn't involve tanning anybody's hide…but he doubted it.

Only time would tell.

TBC…


	8. Bonding Over Bourbon

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 8: Bonding over Bourbon

Simon sighed.

Mal, Zoe, and Jayne were gone on a job.

Inara had taken River to buy food for the ship.

That left him and Cal on board.

Oh, joy.

He admitted he had not been the friendliest or most welcoming of any of them.

The boy had gotten along all right with everyone, he supposed, but him and Jayne.

It was obvious he did not like Jayne one little bit.

As for how he felt about him he had no idea.

The two of them steered clear of each other as much as possible.

In the two weeks since he'd come on board they may have spoken two or three words to each other in all that time.

Mal didn't say anything, since no major issues had arose from it, and until they did he was willing to let bygones be bygones.

With everyone gone, Simon was in the infirmary (his sanctuary) cleaning his medical instruments.

"What's up, doc?" Cal greeted, entering.

Simon jumped a foot in the air, nearly dropping a scalpel onto his foot.

"Are you crazy?" he asked him. "I could have cut my foot open!"

"Uh, sorry," Cal said, smirking. "I didn't know you was so jumpy."

"I'm not," Simon snapped at him. "You just caught me off guard."

The other boy grinned. "Touchy, ain'tcha?"

"No," Simon said, sullenly. "I just wasn't expecting you to come in here. Did you need something?"

"No," Cal told him. "It's just, you and me ain't talked much since I got on board…"

"Yeah, so?" Simon asked him, frowning.

"Well," Cal said, "River told me about Kaylee—'bout how you two were, uh, you know, hittin' the sheets together before you got downsized and she got, uh, …"

Simon frowned even more.

He was going to have a serious talk with River about running her mouth later.

"…and I know you're put out that I'm takin' her job and all," Cal went on. "I guess what I'm sayin' is I'm sorry if me bein' on board bothers you."

Simon blinked at him, surprised by the sincerity he heard in his voice.

"Kaylee's gone, I know that," he told him. "There's nothing I can do to change that. You being the mechanic isn't the problem…because there is no problem."

"You sure about that?" Cal asked him, crossing his arms. "Cuz, I get the notion you don't like me much…"

"I don't know _much_ about you," Simon reminded him, smirking.

"You're job and mine doesn't exactly cross paths, if you know what I mean."

"You might be the medic and me the mechanic," Cal said, "but you're also the only other boy on board. Your sister's nice and all, but she sure is hard to talk to…"

"I know," Simon said, quietly. Was he telling him that he was lonely?

"It's just," Cal said, shrugging, "I was sorta hoping you and me could be friends, you know."

Simon felt his gut twist.

He hadn't meant to deliberately snub him, but that's exactly what it looked like.

"I, uh, I'd like that," he told him, quietly. "Being friends, I mean."

Cal smirked. "Really?" he asked, hopefully.

Simon nodded. "Yeah, really," he said, grinning.

Why shouldn't he at least try to get along with the boy?

Other than the fact that he _had_ taken over Kaylee's job and _was_ Mal's real son, he had no reason to not to like him.

"Great," Cal said, "and I got just the thing to celebrate our new friendship. C'mon."

Before he could protest, Simon was grabbed by his upper arm and pulled from the infirmary.

Cal pulled him up the stairs to the galley, where on the table was a bottle of liquor and two shot glasses.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" Simon asked him, suspiciously.

"A toast," Cal said, smirking.

"But you're twelve," Simon told him, "and technically, so I am."

"So?" Cal asked him, uncorking the bottle and pouring two shots.

He then handed one of them to Simon, who took it and smelt it.

He wrinkled his nose.

"This is bourbon," he said, surprised.

"Yeah," Cal said, grinning, "I found it."

"Where?" Simon asked, suspiciously.

"Capt.'s quarters," Cal said, winking.

"Are you crazy?" Simon asked him. "Mal will kill us!"

"C'mon, doc," Cal said, "where's your sense of adventure?"

"In my butt," Simon told him, seriously. "Which Mal will blister if he finds out about this—and yours, too, I bet."

"Ah, a couple of shots won't hurt us none," Cal said, grinning. "I'll put the bottle back exactly where I found it and the captain won't ever know."

"Uh huh," Simon said, doubtfully. "You obviously don't know him very well…"

"I know he's a ly one, just like his ma," Cal said, "but that probably means he a big softy just like she was."

Simon sighed. He didn't think this was a good idea, but…

He _did_ want to try and be friends with the boy, after being so rude to him like he had been.

"Just once, right?" he asked, pointedly.

"Won't hurt a thing," Cal promised. "What do you say?"

"That I'm obliviously crazy," Simon said, sighing. "Cheers." He held up the shot glass in his hand.

Cal grinned. "That's the spirit," said, holding up his own shot glass.

They clinked glasses and then downed the liquor.

Simon winced as the liquid burned his mouth and throat all the way down.

"Wow," Cal said, crunching up his face, "that really packs a wallop, don't it?"

"Have you ever drank before?" Simon asked him, curiously.

"I'd sneak a bit every now and then from folk's tankards back at the tavern at home," Cal admitted, "but that stuff was nothin' but swill. This here is the good stuff."

"Yeah, I guess it is," Simon told him. "I prefer Soki myself."

"Really?" Cal said, pouring each of them another shot.

"Yeah," he told him, drinking the liquor again in one gulp.

"I remember this one time me and my friends got drunk just after we graduated…"

One shot turned into a couple of shots which then turned into a few.

A few than turned into four, four turned into five, and before long they had each drank ten shots each.

By then, the liquor was affecting both of them but they didn't seem to mind.

It turned out that when Simon got drunk, he _did_ loosen up…a lot.

He even started a food fight that lasted awhile.

By the time it was finished, the entire galley was covered in food and so were they.

They, however, happily sat in the middle of it without really caring that much.

By then, the bottle of bourbon was almost gone too.

"What in Gorramn hell is goin' on here?" Mal asked from the doorway.

Jayne and Zoe were directly behind him, and directly behind them were River and Inara.

Inara put her hand to her mouth in shock.

River shook her head at them, knowingly.

"Demon liquor," she muttered, disapprovingly. "Does it every time."

"It smells worse than a cheap bar in here," Zoe noted, sourly.

"Looks worse than a cheap bar, too," Jayne said, smirking.

"Hi there, Mal," Simon drunkenly greeted the man. "How's it hangin'?"

"Excuse me?" Mal asked, narrowing his eyes.

He'd never once heard the prim and proper boy say such a thing before.

"Ya know," Cal said, smirking idiotically. "How's _it _hangin'?"

Both boys burst out into hysterical snickers at this, but Mal didn't seem to find it the least bit funny.

He crossed over to the messy table and picked up the almost empty bottle.

"This is my best bourbon," he growled, glaring at the boys.

"Ya didn't tells me it was 'is best," Simon slurred at Cal.

"Didn't knows was 'is best," Cal slurred back, grinning. "Don't worry, Capt'n, I'll buy ya another one…"

"Oh, you'll both be payin' all right," Mal said, his voice low and dangerous, "but I doubt it'll be in money."

"Three, two, one," River said in a sing-song voice. "Sleepy-bye time."

"What you talkin' 'bout, crazy ?" Jayne asked her, but two thuds had him looking to find both boys slumped on the table.

"I think that's what she's talkin' about," Inara said, shaking her head.

Mal was swearing up a storm by now.

"Jayne," he growled, "grab one and help me get 'em to their rooms."

"Can I watch as you beat 'em?" the mercenary asked, hopefully.

He picked up Cal while Mal grabbed Simon.

"If you ain't careful, Jayne," the captain growled at him, "I'll let everybody watch as I beat you. Dong ma?"

Jayne pouted. "I was only askin'," he said, sullenly. "Ya didn't have to bite my head off."

"Just shut up," he said, hoisting Simon over his shoulder, "and hand him over. I'll take 'em both to the shuttle."

"Why?" Jayne asked, handing over the other boy.

Cal went under Mal's free arm, like a sack of potatoes.

"The bed's bigger," he told him. "Now, start cleanin' up this mess."

"What!" Jayne exclaimed, indignantly. "I ain't the one who made it. That ain't fair, Mal!"

Mal counted to ten very quickly in Chinese.

Sometimes dealing with Jayne was like dealing with a petulant child.

_And one of these days, _hethought to himself_, I'm gonna treat him like a petulant child._

"I know you didn't make it," he told him, angrily, "and I would have these two do the cleanin' except their out and are probably gonna stay that way for while. We can't wait to eat and we can't eat in all this mess. So, if you want to feed that gut of yours sometime today you'll start cleaning. Dong ma?"

"Fine," Jayne grumbled, "but those two better get their hind ends tanned good for this."

"Don't worry," Mal said, darkly, "they will. Zoe, get us outta here. Inara, River, do you mind helpin' Jayne and then startin' us some grub?"

"Sure," his wife told him, smirking.

"Aye, aye, Captain," River said, saluting. She giggled when he glared at her.

"I'm in a rotten mood, little one," he warned her, gently. "You'd best be watchin' yourself."

"I prefer to watch all of you," she told him, seriously. "You're much more interesting than me."

"Oh, I don't know about that, darlin'," he said, grinning. "But I don't have time to argue wit ya about it."

With that, he carried the two unconscious boys to the shuttle where he deposited them into bed.

Staring down at their peaceful expressions, he shook his head.

He had a feeling their heads were going to be mighty sore when they woke up.

And so would another part of them shortly thereafter…

Oh yes.

There were no ifs, ands, or _butts_ about that.

TBC…


	9. In Trouble with Love

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 9: In Trouble with Love

The boys slept through out the night and did not awaken 'til the next morning.

Simon was the first to stir, groaning and feeling like crap.

His stomach also didn't feel so well.

"I, uh, I think I'm gonna be sick," he moaned, feeling bile rise in his throat.

"There's a bucket beside ya," Mal, who had watched over them throughout the night, told him.

Simon rolled slightly, enough to get his head over the side of the bed and then heaved out the contents of his stomach.

Mal winced at the retching. How many mornings had he been in the exact same position?

Too many for him to remember, that was for sure.

One thing he knew for certain, though, none of them had happened when he was twelve.

Cal awoke then, having the same problem. A bucket had been placed on his side of the bed, too.

Once the boys had finished up-chucking, they sat up.

"I think I'm gonna die," Simon said, wincing at the sharpness of the lights within the shuttle.

"Ditto, Doc," Cal groaned.

"You two must really have had yerselves a party yesterday," Mal commented, smirking.

"Yesterday?" Simon asked, wincing at the pain his own voice caused his head.

"Yep," Mal said. "Found the two of you in the galley, drunker than a pair of skunks, and my best bottle of bourbon almost gone."

"Capt'n," Cal said, "I can explain…"

"Oh, no explanation necessary, son," Mal told him, panned.

"It's pretty obvious you went through my personal belongs, took somethin' that wasn't yours, and then proceeded to consume somethin' you had no business consumin'."

"Mal, it wasn't like that," Simon told him, "I swear."

"Oh, really?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Then tell me, Simon, just what was it then?"

"Uh," Simon said, wincing, "can I get back to you when my head isn't hurting so much?"

"Oh," Mal told him, "that ain't the only thing gonna be hurtin' ya this mornin'."

"Please, Capt'n," Cal said, "if yer gonna punish somebody punish me. Twasn't the doc's idea. Was all mine. I took the bottle and talked him into drinkin' it with me."

"It was only supposed to be one shot," Simon moaned, grabbing his head.

"It usually is," Mal told him. "Only one shot tends to last a heap of a lot longer than most folks reckon it should."

"Tell me about it," Simon groaned, grabbing his head. "And I'm as much to blame as Cal."

"Oh, I know you are," Mal told him, smirking. "He may have talked ya into it, but you could have said no."

"I was trying to make up for not being so friendly," Simon explained.

"Oh, so that requires you drinkin'," Mal snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Damn it, Mal," Simon growled. "We didn't mean any harm. We'll pay you for the stupid bourbon!"

Mal eyes went flat.

"You talk to me like that again, son," he warned him, "and you're gonna get more than my hand upside your backside."

Simon winced, knowing he meant it. "I'm sorry," he apologized, biting his lip.

Mal sighed. "Let's get you two cleaned up," he said, "and get something besides bourbon inside you. Then we'll take care of this."

He helped them out of bed and proceeded to help each to their respective rooms.

They got cleaned up, brushed their teeth, and put on decent clothes.

He then helped them to the galley, where everyone was waiting.

"Mornin', folks," he greeted them cheerfully. "Our boys are bright eyed and bushy-tailed this morning, ain't they?"

He patted both boys on the back, and each gave him a glare in return.

"Humph," Jayne snorted. "If it'd been me that drank your best bourbon, I'd be thrown out the air lock."

"You still could be," River stated, glaring at him. "In pieces."

Jayne swallowed, hard. "I think I'm gonna eat in my room," he said, and got up from the table very quickly.

River smiled. "Works every time," she said, evilly.

"You behave yourself, young lady," Mal warned her. "Less you want a lickin', too."

"You wouldn't dare," Simon told him, glaring.

"Oh, why's that?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow at him and crossing his arms.

"Two reasons," Simon told him. "One: you'd never be able to touch her and two: I'd shoot you."

"Simon," Inara said, shocked.

River giggled, ignoring the glares everyone sent her way.

"I don't care if you do to me," Simon told Mal, "but River is off limits."

"Ain't nobody off limits on my boat, son," Mal told him, his voice low and dangerous, "and unless you want everybody to see you get your fanny blistered you'll shut your mouth right now."

"He's right, you know," River spoke up, glancing at Mal. "If I don't want you ing me, you won't."

"I reckon that's true, lil'un," Mal agreed, "but I'm bettin' you'll let me—won't you?"

"Perhaps," River said, "perhaps not—are you willing to take that chance?"

"If it means you not gettin' hurt or captured," Mal told her, "then yes, I am."

"Why?" River probed, curiously.

"Uh, well, because," Mal told her, "because…"

"If you can't say it," River told him, "then it must not be true. I have no reason to let you in that case…"

Mal gritted his teeth. Gorramn it, why was the doing this?

"Because," he told her, "I love you, lil'un. That's why."

"And Simon?" River asked, glancing at her brother. "And Cal?"

"I, uh, I love them too," Mal said, hesitantly. "Happy now?"

River nodded. "Yes, I am," she said, and then got up and skipped out of the room.

"I'm confused," Cal said. "What was that about?"

Simon smiled.

"River meant what she said, Cal," he told her. "If she didn't want Mal ing her or me or you she wouldn't let him."

"Wouldn't _let _him?" Cal asked. "How is a little gonna stop a full grown man?"

"Real easy, I'm afraid," Mal told him, "when that little is a genuine living weapon with psychic powers."

Cal blinked. "Yer kiddin'?"

Everybody shook their heads.

"No, I ain't," Mal told him. "Our River is more than she seems, son. A whole lot more."

Cal swallowed. "So, why was she askin' you all that stuff?"

"I reckon," Mal told him, "she was testin' me."

"It's because he loves you all that he's sometimes has to discipline you," Zoe spoke up.

"It means he cares enough to makes sure you understand your mistakes and learn from them," Inara told him, gently.

"Right," Mal said, smirking. "So, let's get you somethin' to eat and then get to me showin' you how much I care."

Both boys blanched at the mention of food.

"Uh," they spoke at the same time. "I'm not hungry."

Mal nodded. "Then," he said, "I guess we might as well get it over with. Follow me."

The boys sighed, but followed him back to the shuttle.

"Simon," Mal ordered "find yourself a corner and plant your nose in it."

Simon blinked at him. "You're joking?" he asked, disbelieving.

"Do I look like I am?" Mal asked, sternly.

Simon sighed. "No, sir," he said, and went to stand in the nearest empty corner.

Mal sat down on the bed and beckoned Cal over to him.

"You're my son," he told him, "you know that."

Cal nodded. "Yeah, I reckon I am," he said, quietly, "but we ain't known each other…"

"That don't matter," Mal told him. "I took a fancy to you the moment I saw you runnin' with that chicken and my ma threatened to tan your hide. That tickled me and not much does these days."

"Okay," Cal said, not sure what he was getting at.

"Since you came on board," Mal went on, "you and me have sorta played this game where you're the mechanic and I'm the captain…"

"But, we are those things," Cal reminded him.

Mal nodded. "Yep, we are," he agreed, "but we're more than that and I think its time we stopped pretendin'. I'm your pa, and as such I got to do what I got to do in order to make sure you do right and not wrong."

"Like stealin' your best bottle of bourbon," Cal said, grinning, "right?"

"Right," Mal said, frowning. "Yer too young to be drinkin', especially the strong stuff, and I ain't gonna stand for it."

"I drank before," Cal told him. "A little bit, anyway."

"Well, that was then and this is now," Mal told him, seriously.

"Some day, you and me and Simon will sit down and share a bottle together, but when that day comes it'll be when you both have hair on your faces, your faces, and your balls. Got me?"

"Got'cha," Cal said, smiling. "I reckon that'll be a right interestin' day, huh?"

"I reckon so, too," Mal told him, grinning, "but right now—you done wrong and I got to punish ya."

"I know," Cal said. "This ain't my first lickin'."

"And not your last neither," Mal told him, chuckling. "Drop them britches and get over my knee."

Cal wrinkled his nose. "That's for babies," he complained.

"No it ain't," Mal told him. "My ma was still turnin' me across her knee when I was sixteen."

"I bet she had to do it a lot," Cal said, grinning.

Mal rolled her eyes. "Quit yer stallin'," he told him, "I still got Simon to take care of."

Cal sighed and dropped his pants. He was then pulled over Mal's lap.

Mal thought about yanking the boy's shorts down as well, but seeing as how this was the first time he'd ed him he'd be a little bit lenient.

He brought his hand down across the semi-bared bottom, eliciting a yelp out of the boy.

He ed him evenly, spreading the smacks over both cheeks and also top and under-curve.

Cal took it like a man, only yelping when a particularly hard smack landed.

Unfortunately, but the twentieth smack tears had begun to leak out.

By the thirtieth, he was quietly sobbing and his butt was throbbing something fiercely.

"I-I'm sorry, P-Pa," he whimpered. "Y-You can stop now."

"The lickin' ain't over 'til I say its over, young'un," Mal told him.

He gave him one final smack that was the hardest of the lot. "Now, it's over."

He let him up off his lap and helped him fix his britches.

He then pulled him into a hug.

"I meant what I told River," he whispered in his ear. "I do love ya, son. Don't ever doubt that. Even when I'm being a right to you I still love you."

Cal nodded. "T-Thanks, Capt'n," he said, wiping at his face and nose.

"Cal," Mal told him, smirking, "just call me 'Pa'."

Cal grinned. "Sure thing," he said, "Pa."

Mal reached out and ruffled his hair.

"Now, go take Simon's place in the corner," he instructed, firmly.

Cal did so and Simon came to stand before him.

"Now as for you, Doctor," Mal began, "you and me still got some issues to work through."

"I know," Simon said, looking down at his feet. "I'm sorry if I seem ungrateful at times."

Mal reached over lifted his chin up. "You ain't ungrateful," he told him, "but you sure are a pain in the ass at times."

"I guess were even then," Simon told him, "since your about cause a pain in my ass."

Mal laughed at that. "I reckon I should wash your mouth out," he told him, "but you cuss so rare it's kinda funny when you actually do it."

"I'm glad you find it so amusing," Simon told him. "I am sorry, you know."

"For what?" Mal asked him. "Drinkin' my bourbon or tellin' me what to do on my ship again?"

"Both," Simon said, quietly. "It's just…"

"River's your little sister, even though you both are the same age at the moment," Mal said, "and you still feel like you have to protect her."

Simon nodded, blinking back tears.

"Well, I got some news for you," Mal told him. "You don't have to protect her by yourself no more, Simon. Me, Zoe, Inara, Cal—maybe Jayne even—all will do everything we can to see that she doesn't get hurt or lost or just plain scared."

A few tears leaked out of Simon's eyes, but he quickly brushed them away.

Mal reached out and cupped his face in his hands. "You've been brave long enough, son," he told him. "How about you let me do the worryin' over River from now on, huh?"

Simon nodded, unable to say anything.

"Cal may be the son of my body, Simon," Mal went on, "but you and River are as much my young'uns now as he is. I'm yer pa now, too."

"That may not be such a good idea," Simon told him. "I don't make a very good son."

"Why's that?" Mal said. "Because that…no good piece …that sired you said so?"

"I wasn't good enough for him," Simon said. "Ever."

"Well," Mal told him, firmly, "your more than good enough for me."

Simon nodded, knowing it was true.

Mal sighed. "Let's get this over with, huh?"

Simon nodded. "Britches down?" he asked.

"Yep," Mal told him. "Shorts, too."

Simon winced. "But you didn't…" he bit his lip.

No, he wouldn't complain that Cal hadn't gotten a completely bare ing.

That wouldn't be right.

"He didn't try and tell me what to do after I warned him specifically never to talk to me in a certain way again," Mal reminded him.

Simon swallowed, his eyes wide. "Does that mean your going to use…?"

"I outta," Mal said, "but I'm not gonna. But if it ever happens again…"

Simon shook his head. "It won't," he promised. "I swear."

"Good," Mal told him, "now, down."

Simon lowered is pants and shorts and then was pulled across Mal's lap.

This ing hurt as much as the couple of other times he'd been in this position.

Mal ed him hard and fast, not leaving a single inch of his bare bottom untouched.

By the time it was over his butt was throbbing, red, and he was crying.

Mal landed the last ten swats to his sensitive sit-spot and then it was over.

He was helped back up, his clothes fixed, and he was pulled into a hug.

"I may not say this very often, Simon," Mal whispered to him, "hardly ever, really cuz it don't just come natural to me like it does some folks but I do love you."

Simon nodded. "Thanks," he said, "Captain."

"Simon," Mal told him, "why don't you call me somethin' other than 'Mal' or 'Captain'."

"Like what?" Simon asked him, curiously.

"I don't know," Mal told him, "just somethin'. You pick."

"How about…" Simon said, thinking, "Dad."

"Sounds pretty good to me," Mal told him. "Cal, c'mere."

His son came to him and he stared both boys in the eye.

"I know this probably won't be the last time we have to do this," he told them, "but let's try and make it the last for a while. Okay?"

They nodded. "You bet," they said, at the same time.

"All right," he told them, standing up. "You are both confined to quarters for a week—except at meals and if you're needed for somethin'—and you're gonna have to pay for that bottle."

They nodded, understanding. "Yes, sir."

"I reckon you'd best get to your rooms, then," he told them, 'til lunch is ready."

They nodded and turned to leave.

Mal sat down with a sigh.

Was he really ready to be a genuine pa?

Did he have what it took?

A few minutes later, River appeared.

She crossed over to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked her, curiously.

"For saying it," she told him, "Daddy." She smiled at him.

"Daddy, huh?" he said, smirking. "I reckon I can live with that."

"Good," she said, "I'm glad."

She then turned and danced out of the shuttle.

He chuckled.

"Me too, darlin'. Me, too."

TBC…


	10. The Routine Inspection

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 10: A Routine Inspection

They're next job took them to the small moon of Yin—an industrial settlement that produced most of the 'verses inks and dyes.

"Okay," Mal told everybody, once they were docked, "this job is an honest one. We pick up the good and deliver them to where they need to go."

"Sounds simple enough," Jayne commented. "Guess that means no s…"

"No," Mal said, "since you'll be stayin' on the ship with Cal, Simon, and River."

"Say what?" the large mercenary complained. "Why?"

"Because this job is so simple," he explained. "Me and Zoe can handle it just fine."

"Why can't Inara stay with the brats?" Jayne griped, glancing at the former Companion.

"I have business of my own to take care of," she explained. "I'll be taking shuttle one while Mal and Zoe take shuttle two."

Mal nodded, and then glanced at the three kids.

"You three aren't to leave the ship," he told them. "There may be Alliance in the area, or so we're told, and I don't want to take any chances."

"They're here," River spoke, "but they don't know about us."

"Well, that's good," Cal muttered. "I the Alliance."

"Why?" Simon asked him, curiously. "You've lived under their rule all your life…"

"Exactly," Cal told him. "I've seen just how much they supposedly care about the border planets."

"Ah," Simon said, understanding.

"Just stay put, huh?" Mal told them. "You all got stuff you need to get done, so just do that 'til we get back."

They nodded.

After that, Inara left in the first shuttle while Mal and Zoe took the second to meet their contact.

Jayne glared at the three kids.

The three kids glared back at Jayne.

Silence reined.

"Screw this," Jayne said, finally, "I ain't no Gorramn baby-sitter. I'm going for a drink."

With that, he turned and left the ship headed for the nearest bar.

Simon and Cal both snorted. River sighed.

"Daddy won't be happy," she said, quietly.

"Well, it'll be him that gets it," Cal muttered. "Not us. S'long as we do as we was told. I gotta go fix that auxiliary booster coil."

He headed for the engine room.

Simon looked at River. "I need to go check my supplies," he told her, hesitantly.

She smiled at him.

"I'll be all right, Simon," she promised him. "I'm just going to go plot our next course."

He nodded and headed for the infirmary.

River started for the bridge when she suddenly stopped, her eyes wide.

"They're coming," she whispered, and then turned to rush back down. "They're coming!"

Her voice echoed through the empty ship reaching the two boys' ears at the same time.

They both rushed back to her.

"What's goin' on?" Cal asked, his hands covered in grease.

"What's wrong, River?" she asked him. "What did you see?"

"They're here," she told him. "They're going to come inside."

Just then, there was a loud banging sound.

Someone was knocking on the cargo hold entrance.

"Who is it, River?" Simon asked, swallowing hard.

"Alliance," she whispered.

"What do they want?" Cal asked. "Are they after you two or somethin'?"

River shook her head. "They weren't expecting us," she said, her eyes wide. "They're just doing a routine check of each ship."

"Great," Cal muttered. "Pa's got rotten timing."

"So does Jayne," Simon growled, shaking his head. "He would pick the worst possible time to go for a drink."

"You think if nobody answers they'll go away?" Cal asked, curiously.

River shook her head. "They're going to come inside," she said, "one way or another."

"Mal, uh, Dad definitely won't be happy if they damage _Serenity_," Simon said, wincing. "Somebody better answer it."

"I will," Cal told them. "You two hide somewhere."

"Where?" Simon asked him, scowling.

"I know," River said, grabbing his hand. "C'mon."

Before Simon could protest this, he was pulled behind her off to who knew where.

The banging came again, this time more insistent.

Cal scowled, but made his way down to the cargo hold.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'," he called out. "Who the Gorramn is it?"

"This is Sergeant Striker with the Allied Military Unit," a gruff voice spoke. "We're here to inspect this ship. Open up."

"M-My pa ain't here and he's the captain," he called out. "Ain't supposed to open up for nobody or he'll skin me alive."

"Open this door right now, boy," the gruff voice shouted back at him, "or we'll break it down."

Cal scowled. Why couldn't the Alliance take a hint?

With a sigh, he went and hit he button that opened the hatch.

It lowered and about ten men wearing Alliance uniforms marched in.

"Are you the only one on board, boy?" a tall man in an officer's uniform asked, gruffly.

"I told you I was," Cal snorted. "My pa ain't gonna like you being on his boat."

"You'll forgive me if I hardly care," Striker informed him. "This is a surprise inspection. Search the ship."

That had been directed at his men.

Cal scowled. "Miserable piece of dung," he muttered, sourly.

Striker turned toward him, his eyes narrowed at him.

Uh, had he said that a little too loudly?

The officer hauled back and hit him soundly across the face, sending him sprawling and knocking the air out of lungs.

He tasted in his mouth as well and felt it trickle down the sides of his mouth.

"Insolent whelp," he growled, "your father should teach more respect for your betters. Of course, he's probably nothing more disreputable pirate, so I shouldn't be surprised."

Cal felt rush to his head and he started to get to his feet.

Striker pulled back and kicked him squarely in the gut.

"Stay down," he ordered him. "That's where all dogs belong—at my feet."

Cal felt tears sting his eyes, but he wouldn't let this stinking piece of crap know he'd hurt him.

Fifteen minutes later, he was still on the ground when the men returned to report.

"The ship's clear, sir," one of them told Striker. "The two shuttles aren't present and nothing seems out of place. The scans didn't pick up anything."

Striker snorted. "Very well then," he said, glancing a down at Cal. "Let's go." His men saluted and filed out of the ship in two rows.

The sergeant was the last to leave, but not before he'd kicked Cal one more time.

"Something to remember me by, whelp," he told him, smirking evilly.

Then he left.

Cal moaned, his stomach hurting something fierce, but he managed to crawl over and lift up enough to close the hatch.

Simon and River were there in moments.

"Those miserable…" Simon growled. "Let's get you to the infirmary."

"Daddy's back," River stated, glancing upward.

"No infirmary," Cal said, wincing. "Pa'll know…"

"Pa will know what?" Mal voice asked, from above.

They turned to find him, Zoe, and Inara standing on the catwalk leading to the shuttles.

They made they're way down to them.

Mal knelt down, noticing the on Cal's mouth and the way he held his stomach.

"Who did this?" he asked, angrily.

Cal didn't answer, so he glanced at Simon and River.

"An Alliance officer," Simon told him. "They came by to do an inspection of the ship."

"An inspection?" Mal asked. "Where the hell was Jayne?!"

"Probably boozed up right about now," Cal said through gritted teeth. "He high-tailed it outta here not ten minutes after you left."

Mal eyes went flat at that.

"He just left!" Inara exclaimed, anger radiating off her in waves. "He left you three alone!"

"It ain't like we can't take care of ourselves," Cal protested. "We don't need no stupid baby-sitter."

"Uh huh," Mal commented. "That's why you're bleedin' and clutchin' your stomach as if you've been kicked."

"I _was _kicked," Cal told him, "twice."

Tears stung his eyes again, but he quickly brushed them away.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Mal asked him, gently.

The boy nodded. "Yeah, Pa," he said, "it does. I'm sorry."

"Why?" Mal asked, scowling. "You didn't do anything?"

"I-I couldn't stop them," Cal said. "I tried, but…"

"You listen to me, Calvin Tanner Reynolds," Mal told him, sternly, "you weren't supposed to do nothin'. You're just a young'un, you hear me. I don't expect you to be gettin' into fights with the Alliance just yet."

"But—"

"No," Mal told him, sternly, "no buts. Now, let's get you to the infirmary so we can see how badly that miserable son of a hurt you."

"What's goin' on?" a voice asked, and they all turned to find Jayne standing there.

They all glared at him.

He frowned at them in puzzlement.

"Uh, did I miss somethin'?"

TBC…


	11. Jayne Gets Thrashed

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

(A.N.--This chapter is dedicated to Spankingfemfatale, who has been begging for Jayne to get whooped. So, Jen, I hope you enjoy this chapter.)

Chapter 11: Jayne Gets Thrashed

"What?"

Jayne stared at everybody, confused.

"Why's the kid lying on the floor?"

Mal felt his blood boil, but before he could react Inara beat him to it.

Jumping up, she crossed over to the mercenary and slapped him hard across the face.

Twice.

"Hey!" Jayne yelled, backing out of reach. "What was that for?"

"You left three children alone, Jayne!" Inara yelled at him.

"They ain't exactly regular kids, 'Nara," Jayne defended, rubbing where he'd been slapped.

"They're still kids, Jayne," Zoe said, her voice hard and flat.

"The Alliance came," Inara told him, and then pointed at Cal. "That's their handiwork!"

Jayne gulped, glancing at the boy who was still bleeding at the mouth and clutching his stomach.

"I-I didn't know," he defended himself. "I just wanted a drink is all!"

Mal facial expression hadn't lessoned any, in fact it had deepened.

"Inara, Zoe," he said, "get Cal to the infirmary so Simon can doctor him. River, get us off this rock."

The others all nodded, and did as they were told.

This left Jayne and Mal alone together.

"W-What are ya gonna do?" Jayne asked, nervously. "T-Throw me out the airlock?"

Mal's lips tightened and his jaw set rigidly. He was definitely pissed off.

"Nah, Jayne," he told him, "that's what I do if you ever betray me or mine again."

"You gonna kick me off the boat?" Jayne asked, swallowing hard.

He didn't want to leave _Serenity_—this was the best job he'd ever had, not to mention he kind of liked it here.

"I need you Jayne," Mal told him, his voice still hard and unforgiving, 'so I can't afford to boot you off."

"You gonna shoot me?" Jayne asked, wincing.

It'd hurt, but not as much as being thrown out the air lock.

"Can't work if I shoot you, can you?" Mal stated, his mouth tightening even more.

"Gonna rough me up?" Jayne asked, biting his lip. "Hit me with a wrench or somethin'?"

"I should," Mal told him, "but I ain't."

Jayne sighed. This was getting him nowhere and only making him more nervous.

"Then what the hell are you gonna do?" he asked. "Cuz we both know you're gonna do somethin'!"

"That's right, I am," Mal told him, angrily. "Tell me this, though, Jayne. Why'd you really leave the kids alone?"

"I told you," Jayne argued, "I wanted—"

"That ain't the real reason and we both know it," Mal growled at him. "You just didn't like the fact that I made you stay with them."

"A course I didn't, Mal," Jayne growled back. "I ain't no Gorramn baby-sitter!"

"You are if I say you are, Jayne," Mal told him, firmly.

Jayne pouted at that.

"Instead of obeyin' orders you acted like an adolescent," Mal went on, "and high-tailed it the first chance you got."

"I ain't a, uh, whatever the hell you just said," Jayne said, indignant. "I'm a grown man."

"That's funny," Mal said, "because you don't act like it half the time—in fact, you act very much like a petulant brat. You gripe, complain, and pout when you don't get your own way."

"I do not!" Jayne said, but then pouted some more.

Mal narrowed his eyes. "Follow me, Jayne," he ordered and turned to head up the stairs.

Wondering what the man was up to, the mercenary followed him to the crew quarters.

Mal kicked open Jayne's door and gestured. "In," he ordered, firmly.

Glaring, Jayne obeyed and climbed down into his room.

Mal climbed down after him, shutting and locking the door behind him.

"Are ya lockin' me in my room?" Jayne asked, petulantly.

"You can't work if I do that, either," Mal told him. "I reckon you acted like a brat, so I guess I'll treat you like one."

Jayne frowned. He didn't like the sound of that.

"What you talkin' bout?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Mal undid and pulled off his belt. He then folded it in half.

"Drop your pants and bend over, Jayne," he ordered, sternly.

Jayne's eyes widened, knowing exactly what he intended to do now.

"NO RUTTIN' WAY!" he shouted, shaking his head fiercely.

Mal didn't even so much as blink an eye at him.

"It's either this or you get the hell off my boat for good," he told him, firmly.

"You said you wouldn't kick me off," Jayne reminded him.

Mal shrugged. "That's the deal, Jayne," he told him. "This ain't up for debate."

"C'mon, Mal," Jayne pleaded, "can't ya just rough me up or shoot me? I ain't been whooped since I was…well, since I was a kid."

"Then I reckon your long overdue," Mal told him. "You disobeyed my orders, Jayne, and as a result one of my crew—my _son_—is hurt."

"I didn't know them Alliance fellas would come," Jayne protested.

"That ain't the point," Mal snapped, angrily.

"It's time you learned who's the boss around here, Jayne, cuz half the time you think its you. Well, it ain't and I'm gonna prove that right now."

"C'mon, Mal, just shoot me or rough me up," Jayne said. "Treat me like a man. A whoopin' is for kids."

"You acted like a kid, Jayne," Mal reminded him, "and I think I said this wasn't debatable. Now, make your choose."

Jayne glared. His guns were just a few feet away…

Mal's however was closer and he could shoot faster than him.

"Fine," he grumbled, fumbling with his pants. He let 'em drop to the floor.

"Shorts, too," Mal told him, nodding at his underwear.

Jayne blanched.

It'd been awhile since he was strapped, but he definitely remembered that getting it with a belt on the bare hurt like hell.

"Either you can do it or I can," Mal warned him, pointedly.

Blushing fiercely, the mercenary let his shorts fall to his ankles too.

"Face the wall and bend over," Mal ordered him. "You might want to brace yourself—I ain't gonna be none too gentle."

Swallowing hard, Jayne bent forward and braced both hands against the wall.

Mal glanced down at the exposed rear end and snorted.

On his left butt cheek, Jayne had a tattoo of a smiley face and on his right was tattooed 'Kiss this'.

Shaking his head, Mal raised the belt back and brought it down with a lot of force.

As that first swipe bit into his backside, Jayne clenched his body tightly trying very hard not to yelp.

Mal laid into him hard and fast, bringing the belt down harder and harder with each swing.

By the tenth blow, Jayne's backside was on fire and felt swollen to boot.

Mal, however, wasn't through.

Another ten blows landed right onto the mercenary's sit spot.

By now, Jayne was finding it hard to take this like a man.

Tears were stinging his eyes and his breathing was becoming hitched.

Five more blows came and he thought his knees were about to give out on him.

"M-Mal, p-please," he gasped, trying to hold back his sobs. "N-No m-more."

"It's over when I say its over, Jayne," Mal told her, sternly. "And it ain't over yet."

_CRACK!...CRACK!...CRACK!...CRACK!...CRACK!_

Those five blows landed with more force than the others put together and all were on his (by now) raw sit-spot.

Jayne started sobbing and his knees buckled.

Kneeling down, Mal reached and lifted his chin up and stared him straight in the eye.

"Disobey an order again," he told him, "put any body on my crew in danger again and I swear I'll make this whipping seem like a little tap in comparison. Understand?"

Jayne nodded, biting his lip.

Gorramn it, he hurt!

"You stay put," Mal ordered him, sternly.

"I don't want to see your face for the next two days. I do and I'm liable to shoot you."

Jayne nodded, still unable to speak.

Mal put his belt back on and then turned to leave.

"M-Mal?"

He glanced back. "Yeah, Jayne?"

"I'm sorry."

Mal nodded. "I know. Just don't let it happen again," he said, and then climbed the ladder to exit the room.

Only once he was gone did Jayne let the damn break.

He'd been whipped as a child.

He'd taken beatings as a man.

But he'd never, never hurt so much as he did right then.

And for some reason, the fact that a kid had gotten hurt because of him—even if he hadn't done anything initially—hurt him worse than his raw ass did.

Cradling up into a ball on his floor, for the first time since he was short pants, he sobbed his heart out.

TBC…


	12. Aftermath

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

(A.N.—Sorry about the long wait. I've been busy with other stories.)

Chapter 12: Aftermath

Over the next few weeks, things improved dramatically aboard Serenity.

Jayne kept to himself mostly, did as he was told, and rarely even spoke to anyone unless he was spoken to first.

"Huh?" Mal commented to Zoe. "If I'd known how well he'd be behavin', I'd have whooped Jayne's ass a long time ago."

"He does seem less vocal than usual, Sir," Zoe agreed. "I'm sure he'll eventually get back to his old boisterous self again."

"Hopefully not too soon," Mal said, smirking. "I like Jayne when he ain't talkin'."

"He's hurting inside," River spoke up from the pilot's chair, "but he won't say anything."

"Who?" Mal asked. "Jayne."

River nodded. "He knows he let the crew down and oddly enough feels badly for it," he said. "He wants to apologize, but doesn't know how without feeling like a…sissy…"

"Huh," Mal said, "who'd have thought it. Reckon I'd best go talk to him, then."

"Do you have to?" Cal asked, from underneath the navigation station. "I kinda like the moron like this."

"Can it, you," Mal told him, "and hurry up and fix that."

"Kinda hard to fix anything with this sling on," Cal muttered. "Why can't I take it off?"

"Simon said it had to stay on at least three weeks," Mal told him, "and it ain't been that long yet so it stays put. I find out otherwise and you're behind is gonna need a sling. Got it?"

Cal sighed. "Yes, sir, Captain," he muttered. "Mean, ole, pirate…"

Mal smirked, but didn't comment.

Cal insulting him meant he was starting to feel better, so he'd allow the little jabs until they got out of hand.

The attack had shaken up the boy more than he would willingly let on, but they could all see it.

But it seemed he was starting to come out of it and get back to his old self again.

"Zoe, make sure these two behave themselves," he told her, smirking.

"Aye, aye, Sir," she said, smiling back. That wouldn't be a problem.

Mal nodded and headed for the crew quarters to have that talk with Jayne.

On his way, he ran into Inara.

"Hey there, Mrs. Reynolds," he greeted her. "Miss me?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "We had breakfast together ten minutes ago," she reminded him. "I haven't had time to miss you, Mr. Reynolds."

"That's Captain Reynolds," he told her, smirking, "and any minute we're apart is too long in my book."

"What do you suggest?" she asked. "Making love in the corridor here. I'm sure the others would just step around us…"

He laughed. "All right, I get it," he said, kissing her, "but tonight is another story."

She kissed him back. "It always is," she told him. "I'll be in the shuttle, if you need me."

"Right," he said and watched as she headed that way.

Getting to Jayne's cabin, he knocked. "Jayne, you in there?"

"Yeah, Mal, what is it?" the mercenary called up.

"I want to talk to you," Mal called down. "Mind if I come in?"

He heard a snort. "It's your damn ship, Mal," Jayne called back. "You can do whatever the hell you feel like."

"Just checkin'," he called down and gently kicked the door open and slid down the ladder.

Jayne was sitting on his bed, polishing his guns.

"You've been mighty quiet lately," he told him, leaning against the ladder he'd just slid down.

Jayne shrugged. "Ain't had much to say," he told him.

"Now, we both know you always have somethin' to say, Jayne," Mal said, smirking. "What's eatin' you?"

"Nothin'," Jayne muttered, sourly.

"A little bird tells me different," Mal told him.

Jayne glared. "That girl needs to stay outta people's heads," he growled, annoyed.

"Talk to me, Jayne," Mal ordered. "If this is about the whipping I gave you…"

"It's not," Jayne told him, firmly. "I deserved that, Mal, and I know it. It's just…"

"If it's the fact you let me down that's bothering you, then don't worry about it," Mal told him. "I forgave you once the whipping was over with."

"Really?" Jayne asked, almost hopefully. "You mean that?"

"I do," Mal told him. "Like my ma always said, 'once the whippin's through whatever ya've done, boy, is forgivin' and forgotten'. Well, I won't ever forget it and neither will you, but it certainly was forgiven. Understand?"

Jayne nodded. "I reckon I can live with that," he said, smirking.

Mal smirked back.

"Good, cuz I need you for the job we got to do next," he told him. "Think you can handle it?"

Jayne cocked the gun he was holding. "Damn straight," he said, smiling. "Just tell me who to shoot."

"Well, don't go be shootin' anybody yet," Mal told him. "We'll be landin' in a few hours."

"I'll be ready," Jayne told him, smirking.

"Good," Mal said, turning to climb back on the ladder. "Oh, and Jayne?"

"Yeah?"

"No grenades," he told him, firmly.

Jayne sighed. "Oh, c'mon, Mal, don't be such a wuss…"

Mal chuckled at his climbed the ladder without commenting.

Jayne bitching was a sure sign he was back to normal.

Mission accomplished.

Problem solved.

Now, it was time for a snack.

And maybe a shot of whiskey to go with it.

TBC…


	13. Building a Family

**Firefly**

"_Little _**Surprises"**

Summary: A young stowaway holds an interesting secret…and it concerns Mal in a BIG way.

Author's Note: Takes place after my first story, "Little Adjustments". Picks up where that one left off.

Warning: **Spanking in this story**. If this bothers you, **DO NOT READ THIS STORY OR REVIEW IT**.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own these characters or this concept. I'm just borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

Chapter 13: Building a Family

Things began to settle down for the crew of _Serenity_ quite considerably.

A few weeks after the incident involving the Alliance officers, Inara informed Mal that he was going to be a father—again.

Nine months later, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl whom they named after Kaylee and Mal's mother.

They asked Zoe to be her godmother—which of course she did.

Jayne returned to his old self, though he made certain not to ever make Mal _too_ angry.

And as for the kids…

Simon continued to question Mal's authority whenever he disagreed with him, but he rarely disobeyed a direct order.

Cal came to love his new family more than he would ever let on, and absolutely doted—in private, of course—his new baby sister.

River remained the same—a mystery.

They continued to take jobs wherever they found them, though Mal increasingly took more and more legal ventures rather then illegal ones.

As he told Inara, "I got young'uns lookin' up to me now. I reckon I'd best set a good example."

Inara had, naturally thought this a rather good idea—especially since it was hers to begin with.

Returning to his home planet on the one year anniversary of his mother's passing, and to introduce their daughter to her, Inara and Mal stood outside the house gazing up at the stars in the night sky.

"A lot has changed," Mal told his wife, quietly.

She nodded. "Who'd have thought two years ago we'd be married with a baby," she told him, grinning.

"Who'd have thought I'd have son and daughter—plus two adopted young'uns, to boot," he told her.

Inara grew sad. "As much as I love our daughter," she told him, "I can't help but miss Kaylee…no one will ever be able to replace her in my heart."

"Mine either, darlin'," Mal told her, gently. "But she'd want us to go on doin' what we been doin'."

"And what's that?" Inara asked him, curiously.

"Buildin' a family," Mal told her. "She always said that's what we all were and she was right."

Inara nodded. "Yes," she said, "she was."

Mal smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"What the heck you two doin' out here?" Cal asked, from the doorway. "Makin' another baby?"

Mal and Inara grinned at him, and Simon and River, who had joined their 'brother'.

"You three get your tails out here," he ordered them, "and tell Jayne and Zoe to bring the baby out."

"Why?" Simon asked him, as they all stepped out of the house.

"Cuz," Mal told him, smirking. "This is family time."

"And family time is the most important time in the verse," River said, smiling. "Kaylee said so."

"That's right, darlin'," Mal said, wrapping his other arm around her. "We are a family now."

"A really odd family," Simon said, grinning. "But a family."

"It takes all kinds," Jayne said, snorting.

"Yeah," Zoe said, handing her goddaughter to her mother. "It sure does."

Mal grinned, as they all turned their gazes to the stars.

They were a family now—not just a crew—and that was the way it was going to stay.

Now and forever.

The End.


End file.
